Endocrine Abstracts

Pituitary hormonal status was important for the evaluation of various diseased state of hypothalamo-pituitary target organ axis as well as tumorous condition. Measurement of growth hormone (GH), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia were commonly used to assess pituitary condition on hypoglycaemia stress. Sexual axis was evaluated with target organ hormones, i.e. estradiol or testosterone and LHRH stimulated luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). TRH stimulated prolactin (PRL) and thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH), and simultaneously evaluated with thyroid hormones (free T4 and T3). All these separated axes were evaluated once with combined pituitary stimulation test (CPST) by combined use of regular insulin (0.1 unit/kg body weight), 100 to 500 μg of TRH (TSH releasing hormone) and 100 μg of LHRH respectively. We checked out pituitary hormonal status with CPST in normal Korean postmenopausal women for physiological situation of pituitary function after naturally shut down of oestrogen. We enrolled total 230 women, who were 30 adult GHD (growth hormone deficiency), 116 postmenopausal (PMS), 17 PMS on ERT (oestrogen replacement therapy) and 48 regularly menstrual women (normal). We did find GH response to hypoglycaemia (indirect) was much higher than that of GHRH (direct) stimulation. These findings were meant that GHRH-GH axis was more responded to life threatening stress, then mobilized glucose and stabilized human energy system. Peak GH levels after hypoglycaemia stimulation were mild suppressed with ERT than that of PMS without oestrogen replacement. We will investigate all pituitary hormonal status with future full data processing in Korean postmenopausal women by CFST.