Discrepancies between effects of recombinant human growth hormone on absorption and secretion of water and electrolytes on the human jejunum comparedto results reported on rat jejunum

Previous studies in rats showed that the administration of recombinant huma n growth hormone markedly increased intestinal absorption of electrolytes a nd water and suggested that growth hormone would be a useful antidiarrheal agent. We therefore examined the effect of recombinant human growth hormone on the human jejunum in vivo, using a triple lumen nonabsorbable marker te chnique. Healthy subjects were studied on two different test days, one as a control and a second where recombinant human growth hormone was injected s ubcutaneously in a dose of 100 mu g/kg. With this dose we achieved equal or higher growth hormone serum levels than in previous rat studies. However t he administration of recombinant human growth hormone did not stimulate abs orption or inhibit secretion of water and electrolytes in the human jejunum in vivo. We believe that the discrepancy between humans and rats is most l ikely due to the species difference rather than to differences in methods t hat were used. Therefore recombinant human growth hormone cannot be conside red a useful proabsorptive antidiarrheal agent in humans.