DOSE-DEPENDENT STIMULATORY EFFECT OF HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE ON THE STRENGTH AND COLLAGEN DEPOSITION OF COLONIC ANASTOMOSES IN THE RAT

The effects of treatment with four different doses of biosynthetic human growth hormone (b-hGH; 0.125 mg kg-1 d-1, 0.5 mg kg-1 d-1, 2.0 mg kg-1 d-1, 8.0 mg kg-1 d-1) on the bursting strength and collagen deposition of rat colonic anastomoses were studied. Rats receiving 2.0 mg and 8.0 mg b-hGH demonstrated increases in the pre- and postoperative body weights, and the bursting strength and hydroxyproline content of the anastomotic segments in these groups were significantly higher than controls on day 4 postoperatively. The serum levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) were significantly higher than the controls after four days of preoperative treatment in the groups receiving 2.0 mg and 8.0 mg b-hGH, and postoperatively the IGF-I levels were significantly higher than those of the controls in the groups receiving 0.5 mg, 2.0 mg and 8.0 mg b-hGH per kg. Consequently, positive correlations were found between treatment doses of b-hGH and anastomotic defatted dry weight, hydroxyproline content and bursting strength of colonic anastomoses.