This study evaluates the addition of Acipimox or placebo to exercise on growth hormone release and ghrelin secretion in bulimic patients and in healthy women. Two groups of participants will receive Acipimox together with exercise versus identical placebo with exercise.
Acipimox and exercise each increase growth hormone release, but they do so by different mechanisms. Acipimox is an anti-lipolytic drug and increases growth hormone release by decreasing free fatty acids levels and that Acipimox may exert to a negative feedback of growth hormone on ghrelin. Physical exercise is a potent physiological stimulus for growth hormone release. As ghrelin has a stimulatory effect on growth hormone secretion, growth hormone may inhibit circulating ghrelin levels via a feedback loop. Growth hormone stimulates lipolysis and resultant free fatty acids may suppress ghrelin secretion.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
24
Changes in plasma growth hormone levels
Plasma growth hormone (mIU/L) levels will be measured by a commercial RIA kit in the morning and after exercise alone or together with Acipimox administration over a total of 2 weeks.
Time frame: baseline and over a total 2 weeks
Changes in extracellular adipose tissue glycerol levels
Extracellular adipose tissue glycerol (umol/L) levels will be measured using microdialysis technique and analyzed with a radiometric kit in the morning and after exercise alone or together with Acipimox administration over a total of 2 weeks.
Time frame: baseline and over a total 2 weeks
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