Hormone metabolism in the pulmonary circulation

• Published in: Physiological research Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 231 - 235
• Main Authors: Aliberti, G, Pulignano, I, Proietta, M, Miraldi, F, Cigognetti, L, Tritapepe, L, Giovanni, C D, Arzilla, R, Vecci, E, Toscano, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Czech Republic 2001
• Subjects: Aged; C-Peptide - blood; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone - blood; Glucagon - blood; Human Growth Hormone - blood; Humans; Insulin - blood; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - metabolism; Luteinizing Hormone - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Prolactin - blood; Pulmonary Artery; Pulmonary Circulation - physiology; Radial Artery; Reference Values; Thyroid Hormones - blood
• ISSN: 0862-8408
• DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.930027

We measured hormonal levels in blood samples from pulmonary and radial arteries in 117 patients undergoing aorto-coronary by-pass surgery with the aim of investigating the role of the pulmonary vessel endothelium in hormone metabolism. Insulin and glucagon concentrations were significantly higher in pulmonary artery blood with respect to radial artery blood (73 +/- 65 vs. 65 +/- 47 pmol/l, p < 0.005, and 80 +/- 49 vs. 73 +/- 51 ng/l, p < 0.01, respectively), while no difference was found for growth hormone, prolactin, C peptide, insulin-like growth factor I, follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, parathyroid hormone, thyroglobulin, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine. Moreover, prolactin concentrations were more than twice the normal levels, this being an effect of propafol and the opiate fentanyl used for the general anesthesia. Assuming that the arteriovenous differences observed are a marker of peptide hormone degradation, our study has demonstrated that with similar kinetics insulin and glucagon secreted into portal circulation and escaping from hepatic extraction undergo further homeostatic removal of about 9-10 % in the pulmonary circulation before entering the general circulation.