The application of deconvolution analysis to elucidate the pulsatile nature of growth hormone secretion using a variable half-life of growth hormone.

A deconvolution analysis model to calculate pituitary growth hormone (GH) secretion rate from measured serum GH concentration has been developed. This uses an iterative method of 'curve-stripping' based on an estimate of the half-life. The model has been applied to serum GH profiles and demonstrates that GH secretion occurs in discrete bursts with quiescent periods between secretory episodes, an 'on-off' phenomenon. The model can clearly dissect complicated concentration profiles such as the serum GH concentration response to growth hormone releasing hormone. The estimate was derived from calculating the half-life of serum GH in 10 subjects following an intravenous bolus injection of 50 mU of biosynthetic human growth hormone (b-hGH) and following infusions of the exogenous hormone (3 mU/kg/h) for 15, 30, 60 and 180 min. Endogenous GH secretion was suppressed by a continuous infusion of somatostatin (1-14). An asymptotic relationship between the duration of GH infusion and the GH half-life was established. A half-life of 15.3 min was achieved after exposure to GH for 60 min and a maximum half-life of 15.7 min after 180 min exposure.