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A series of experiments using isolated rat hepatocytes was carried out to establish rat liver cells in suspension as a physiological model for examining GH responses, and to determine whether acute recombinant bovine GH (rbGH) treatment of rat liver cells increased glucose output and/or suppressed fatty acid synthesis from lactate. Rat liver cells were isolated by collagenase perfusion and incubated in short-term (<60 min) suspension. The amount of insulin, glucagon or vasopressin required to elicit a half-maximal response was within the physiological range of the circulating hormone. When hepatocytes from normal rats were acutely (<60 min) treated with 0, 0·1, 10, 100 or 1000 nmol rbGH/l, rates of hepatocyte glucose output and fatty acid synthesis were unaltered. In addition, acute rbGH treatment (1000 nmol/l) did not alter hepatocyte responsiveness to insulin or vasopressin. However, acute rbGH treatment of hepatocytes isolated from hypophysectomized rats significantly (P < 0·05) increased the rate of glucose output twofold and moderately (P<0·10) enhanced fatty acid synthesis. The accelerated rate of glucose production was not accompanied by an increase in the amount of glycogen phosphorylase-a. The observations with liver cells from hypophysectomized rats are not consistent with a GH receptor-transducing mechanism which is like that for glucagon (adenylate cyclase-linked) or insulin (tyrosine kinase-linked).

Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 457–464