Failure of chronic administration of growth hormone to affect blood pressure, vascular reactivity and sodium metabolism in normal rats.

Abstract

To examine the effects of exogenous growth hormone on the cardiovascular system and sodium metabolism, ovine growth hormone was given daily to female rats for 5 weeks. Growth hormone resulted in a significant increase in body mass compared with controls. However, blood pressure in the treated rats was not significantly different from that in controls. Following treatment, the baseline resistances and pressor responses of the isolated mesenteric beds did not differ between the two groups. In addition, exchangeable sodium, erythrocytic intracellular sodium and transmembrane sodium efflux rate constants were not altered significantly by growth hormone treatment. The failure to observe cardiovas..