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Purified Chicken Growth Hormone (GH) and a Human Pancreatic GH-Releasing Hormone Increase Body Weight Gain in Chickens

Department of Animal Physiology, Merck, Sharp, and Dohme Research Laboratories Rahway, New Jersey 07065

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Frederick C. Leung, Battelle Memorial Institute, Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Department of Biology and Chemistry, P.O. Box 999, Richland, Washington 99352.

Abstract

Purified chicken GH (cGH) and a synthetic human GH-releasing hormone (hpGRF) were tested for the ability to improve growth performance in chickens. Purified cGH was given to 4-week-old cockerels at 5, 10, and 50 µg/day for 14 days via daily iv injection. Body weights of chickens receiving 5 and 10 µg/day cGH were significantly increased at 6 days by 13.5% and 11.2%, respectively, relative to control values. At 14 days, body weights averaged 8.1% and 7.7% greater than controls, but these values were not statistically significant. There was a slight stimulation of body weight gain in chickens receiving 50 µg/day cGH. In general, cGH produces a transient stimulation of body weight gain in chickens. hpGRF was also given to 4-week-old cockerels for 14 days via daily iv injection at 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 µg/day. hpGRF at 0.1 µg/bird daily increased body weight on day 14 (9.1% over the control value). The stimulating effects, of hpGRF on body weight are also transient. The effects of cGH on serum somatomedin-C (SM-C) were examined. Serum SM-C concentrations were significantly elevated 24 and 36 h after injection of cGH. In conclusion, purified cGH and hpGRF appear to have some growth-promoting activity. The stimulatory effect of hpGRF on weight gain may be mediated via GH, and the stimulatory effect of cGH could be mediated through SM-C. (Endocrinology 118: 1961–1965, 1986)

Received July 17, 1985.

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