Abstract
Summary
A remarkable growth hormone releasing (GRF) activity was found in hypothalamic stalk median eminence (SME) extracts of neonatal rats. The application of electric shock to rats of 1, 5, and 10 days of age induced a clear-cut decrease in pituitary growth hormone content. In the shocked animals GRF activity in the hypothalamic SME extracts was significantly reduced. These results indicate that in the very early stages of development all mechanism(s) which bring about growth hormone release are available, and that a response to stressful stimuli may be expected in infant rats as well as in adult rats.
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