Regulation of protein and energy metabolism by the somatotropic axis

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The somatotropic axis plays a key role in the co-ordination of protein and energy metabolism during postnatal growth. This review discusses the complexity of the regulation of protein and energy metabolism by the somatotropic axis using three main examples: reduced nutrition, growth hormone (GH) treatment and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) treatment. Decreased nutrition leads to elevated GH secretion, but it reduces hepatic GH receptor (GHR) number and plasma levels of IGF-1; it also changes the relative concentrations of IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) in plasma. GH treatment improves the partitioning of nutrients by increasing protein synthesis and decreasing protein degradation and by modifying carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. However, these well-established metabolic responses to GH can change markedly in conditions of reduced nutritional supply or metabolic stress. Short-term infusion of IGF-1 in lambs reduces protein breakdown and increases protein synthesis. However, long-term IGF-1 administration in yearling sheep does not alter body weight gain or carcass composition. The lack of effect of IGF-1 treatment can be explained by activation of feedback mechanisms within the somatotropic axis, which lead to a reduction in GH secretion and hepatic GHR levels. The somatotropic axis has multiple levels of hormone action, with complex feedback and control mechanisms, from gene expression to regulation of mature peptide action. Given that GH has a much wider range of biologic functions than previously recognized, advances in research of the somatotropic axis will improve our understanding of the normal growth process and metabolic disorders.