Effects Of Growth Hormone Supplementation Research Articles

Effect of growth hormone supplementation on liver and lung function in patients with hypopituitarism

To analyze the clinical features of patients with anterior hypopituitarism (HP) complicated with cirrhosis, and to explore the effects of growth hormone supplementation on liver and lung function. A total of 11 patients with HP complicated with cirrhosis admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2016 to December 2022 were included in the study, including 8 males and 3 females, aged [M(Q1, Q3)]31 (20, 37) years. There were 6 patients with pituitary stalk interruption syndrome, 4 patients after craniopharyngioma resection, and 1 patient after germinal cell tumor chemoradiotherapy. Cirrhosis appeared at [M(Q1, Q3)]7 (1, 16) years after the diagnosis of HP. There were 7 cases complicated with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). The liver and lung function of 5 patients were improved significantly after the addition of growth hormone, and the arterial partial pressure of oxygen increased from (47±11) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (84±12) mmHg. Timely supplementation of growth hormone can improve the symptoms of fatty liver, cirrhosis and HPS, and postpone or even avoid the transplantation of liver and other organs.

Effects of Growth Hormone Supplementation on Poor Ovarian Responders in Assisted Reproductive Technology: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

To investigate whether additional growth hormone (GH) treatment can improve pregnancy outcomes in poor ovarian responders (POR), thissystematic review and meta-analysis is prospectively designed and has been registered in PROSPERO (Registration number: CRD42019137866).Literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library from January 2010 to June 2019, and studies before 2010 were included based on a Cochrane review published in 2010. Only English articles and randomized clinical trial studies were included. A total of 12 studies were included for analysis. GH treatment in poor ovarian responders significantly increased the clinical pregnancy rate (odds ratio (OR) = 1.75 (1.23, 2.50)), and the live birth rate also tended to increase after GH treatment (OR = 1.51 (0.97, 2.35)). Other outcomes including the gonadotropin requirement, oocyte retrieval number, endometrium thickness, and the number of patients with available embryos for transfer were also improved by growth hormone treatment (weighted mean differences (WMD) = - 0.78 (- 1.23, - 0.33), 1.41 (0.72, 2.09), 0.36 (0.18, 0.53), OR = 2.67 (1.47, 4.68), respectively). Based on the current study, GH treatment in POR can increase clinical pregnancy rate and show a higher but not statistically significant likelihood of live birth rate. The effect is likely to be mediated by improving ovarian response and endometrium thickness. The effect of GH treatment on live birth rate should be tested by further studies with a larger sample size.

Evidence that growth hormone can improve mitochondrial function in oocytes from aged mice.

Decline in successful conception decreases more rapidly after 38 years of age owing to follicular depletion and decreased oocyte quality. However, limited information is available regarding the underlying mechanism and the useful treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of growth hormone supplementation on oocyte maturation in vivo in aged and young mice and to determine its effect on mitochondrial function. The influence of three different doses of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) (0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks before ovarian stimulation was analyzed. Superovulated oocytes were released from the oviduct of 12-week-old and 40-week-old female C57BL/6J mice 14–16 h after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin. Ovarian follicle and morphological analysis and oocyte maturation parameters were then evaluated. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to report that medium- and high-dose rhGH significantly increases antral follicles in aged mice but anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels. Furthermore, derived oocytes, MII-stage oocyte rate, ATP levels, mitochondrial membrane potential and frequencies of homogeneous mitochondrial distribution increased. In contrast, in both aged and young mice, the mtDNA copy numbers per oocyte were similar before rhGH administration, and upon saline administration, they did not differ significantly. We conclude that medium-dose rhGH supplementation before standard ovarian stimulation regimens improves oocyte quality in aged mice, probably by enhancing mitochondrial functionality.

Effects of Growth Hormone Supplementation in Patients Undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET with Poor Ovarian Response to Gonadotropin

Objective To analyze the effects of growth hormone (GH) supplementation during IVF/ICSI-ET in Chinese patients who had prior IVF cycle with poor response to gonadotropin (Gn). Methods Ovulation was stimulated in 389 consecutive patients who all had poor ovarian response, among them, 102 patients (GH cycle) received 4 IU GH and the other 287 patients (non-GH cycle) underwent IVF without GH. Fisher's exact test, Chi square test and Student's t-test were used to analyze IVF/ICSI-ET outcomes. Results After GH treatment, 102 patients had significantly more large- and medium-sized follicles, oocytes retrieved, 2 pronucleus oocytes, metaphase II stage (MII) oocytes, and high-quality embryos than in previous cycles without GH. However, the number of embryos transferred, clinical pregnancy rate, transfer rate and biochemical pregnancy rate were not significantly different. Furthermore, the 102 patients given GH had significantly lower luteinizing hormone levels and biochemical pregnancy rates; thicker endometrium and more Gn administration days; and more large- and medium-sized follicles and MII oocytes than 287 other patients undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET without GH. However, these groups did not differ significantly in clinical pregnancies, high-quality embryos, MII oocytes, and embryo implantation rates. Conclusion GH may improve some IVF/ICSI-ET outcomes for women with poor ovarian response.

Timing effects of growth hormone supplementation on rat craniofacial growth

Growth hormone (GH) supplementation has become a popular treatment approach for GH normal children with short stature. To investigate how the timing of GH supplementation affects the growth of the craniofacial region, three groups of GH-normal, 28-day-old female Wistar rats were examined over 4 weeks: the early group (n = 10) received two daily injections of rhGH (2 mg/kg/day) from days 1 to 28, the late group (n = 10) received two daily saline injections from days 1 to 14 (Phase I) followed by two daily injections of rhGH from days 14 to 28 (Phase II), and the control group (n = 12) received two daily saline injections from days 1 to 28. Lateral cephalometric, forelimb and hindlimb radiographs obtained weekly were scanned, standardized points digitized, and distances were measured using the Viewbox software. Growth curves between groups were compared using multilevel iterative generalized least squares curve fitting procedures. Supplementation during Phase I in the early group produced significant treatment effects in cranial and cranial base, midface, posterior corpus, and limb lengths which varied inversely with relative maturity (percentage growth completed at the start of the study). During Phase II, GH supplementation in the early and late groups showed treatment effects as above and additional viscerocranial and mandibular measurements, but these effects were unrelated to the relative maturity of the variables. These latter results are at variance with earlier findings in GH-deficient rats, raising the possibility that that GH-normal rats may not respond to GH supplementation in a similar fashion to GH-deficient rats.

Nutrient Intake and Body Composition Variables in Prader-Willi Syndrome - Effect of Growth Hormone Supplementation and Genetic Subtype

In patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), limited information exists on the effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy, gender and genetic subtype on nutrient intake and body composition. We therefore compared GH-treated and nontreated patients, taking into account Tanner stage, gender, and genetic form. In 37 individuals with PWS (20/17 M/F; 21/16 GH+/GH-), dietary intake and body composition (BMI, DEXA) were assessed. Older GH-treated children (Tanner stage 3-4) displayed improved body composition variables (BMI, total and percentage fat mass, truncal fat) (p < 0.05), despite dietary intake similar to non-treated patients; younger children (Tanner stage 1-2) displayed a different pattern, despite greater total caloric and fat intake (p < 0.05) with GH treatment, with only minor differences in body composition. Genetic form and gender had no intrinsic effect on nutrient intake or body composition. In 37 patients with PWS, GH treatment selectively affected body composition (BMI, fat mass), and dietary fat intake based on patients' developmental status, while these variables were unaffected by gender or genetic subtype.

Poster 26: Effect of Growth Hormone Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Traumatic Brain Injury

Poster 26: Effect of Growth Hormone Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Fitness After Traumatic Brain Injury

The effect of growth hormone supplementation on late nutritional independence in pediatric patients with short bowel syndrome

Purpose The use of growth hormone (GH) supplementation for intestinal adaptation among adult patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) has provided mixed results. This report examines the effect of GH supplementation on SBS in pediatric patients. Methods Two girls with SBS from neonatal gastrointestinal catastrophes received exogenous GH at 0.3 mg/kg per week subcutaneously and concurrent glutamine supplementation, beginning at 6 and 6½ years of age. Changes in growth (height and weight) and changes in enteral and parenteral energy requirements were evaluated. Results Treatment duration was 8 and 2.5 years, respectively. Patient weights increased from the 5th to the 41st percentile and from the 17th to the 23rd percentile, respectively. Height increased from the 1st to the 57th percentile in the former patient and increased from less than the 1st to the 17th percentile in the latter. Both patients are independent of parenteral nutrition and take enteral nutrition alone. Tolerance for enteral diets was significantly improved in each girl, with only 2 stools per day maintained in one patient. Conclusions The data show that late exogenous treatment with GH and glutamine supplementation improved growth parameters in pediatric patients with SBS. Growth hormone and glutamine supplementation may be beneficial in promoting late intestinal adaptation in pediatric patients with SBS. These data also suggest that these adjuncts may be useful in the early phases of intestinal adaptation.

Effects of growth hormone supplementation on left ventricular morphology and myocyte function with the development of congestive heart failure.

Release of growth hormone (GH), putatively through alterations in insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels, has been implicated to influence left ventricular (LV) myocardial structure and function. The objective of this study was to determine contributory mechanisms by which GH supplementation may influence LV function with the development of congestive heart failure (CHF). Pigs were assigned to the following groups: (1) chronic pacing at 240 bpm for 3 weeks (n = 10), (2) chronic pacing and GH supplementation (200 microg x kg(-1) x d(-1), n = 10), and (3) controls (n = 8). GH treatment increased IGF-1 plasma levels by nearly 2.5-fold throughout the pacing protocol. In the untreated pacing CHF group, LV fractional shortening was reduced and peak wall stress increased. In the pacing CHF and GH groups, LV fractional shortening was higher and LV wall stress lower than untreated CHF values. Steady-state myocyte velocity of shortening was reduced with pacing CHF and was unchanged from CHF values with GH treatment. In the presence of 25 nmol/L isoproterenol, the change in myocyte shortening velocity was reduced in the untreated CHF group and increased in the GH-treated group. LV sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase abundance was reduced with pacing CHF but was normalized with GH treatment. Short-term GH supplementation improved LV pump function in pacing CHF as a result of favorable effects on LV remodeling and contractile processes. Thus, GH supplementation may serve as a novel therapeutic modality in developing CHF.

Effect of growth hormone and protein intake on tumor growth and host cachexia

Growth hormone supplementation has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and to improve nitrogen balance in a variety of catabolic states. The role of growth hormone to support the tumor-bearing host is complicated by the risk that growth hormone or its intermediaries may stimulate tumor growth. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of growth hormone supplementation in tumor-bearing rats. This is studied in the protein-fed and protein-starved state in an attempt to isolate a selective benefit for the host over the tumor. Forty Lewis rats bearing a metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma (MAC-33) were divided into four groups: one receiving a regular diet plus saline solution, one receiving a regular diet plus growth hormone (1 IU/kg/day), one receiving protein-depleted diet plus saline solution, and one receiving a protein-depleted diet plus growth hormone. After 25 days of growth hormone treatment, animals were killed to determine primary tumor size, tumor/carcass ratio, host organ composition, pulmonary metastasis, and serum amino acid levels. The tumor/carcass ratio was decreased as a result of growth hormone treatment in both the protein-fed and protein-starved groups. Growth hormone supplementation resulted in increased carcass weight, muscle weight, and muscle protein content in the protein-fed, tumor-bearing animals (p < 0.05). In the protein-starved, tumor-bearing rats growth hormone supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in tumor volume and tumor protein content. Amino acid analysis suggests that the amino acid tyrosine is a rate-limiting substrate for tumor cell proliferation in this model. Growth hormone has a differential effect on tumor and host growth in the protein-fed and protein-starved state. Growth hormone supplementation inhibited tumor growth in protein-deprived animals. This is most likely accomplished indirectly by limiting amino acid substrate availability to the tumor.

The effect of growth hormone supplementation on in vitro fertilization outcome: a prospective randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study

To determine the effect of growth hormone (GH) supplementation to a long gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a)/human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) treatment protocol, on ovarian response, embryo quality, and clinical outcome in in vitro fertilization (IVF). Growth hormone or placebo were administered in a prospective randomized double-blind manner. Forty-two normal ovulatory, women who were 38 years of age or less with mechanical factor infertility and a normal male factor were selected for this study. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist, 0.5 mg/d, was initiated in the midluteal phase of the preceding cycle and continued until the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration. Ovulation induction with hMG was started 14 days after pituitary down regulation (17 beta-estradiol [E2] serum level less than 30 pg/mL). Growth hormone (12 IU/d) or placebo were administered on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 of hMG treatment. Breaking the code at the completion of the study revealed that 20 women received GH and 22 placebo. The age and duration of infertility did not differ between the two groups. Follicular phase duration, hMG ampules used, serum E2, and number of follicles (greater than or equal to 14 mm) on day of hCG as well as number of oocytes and embryos achieved were similar in both groups. Embryo morphology and rate of cleavage were also similar. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) serum levels did not change after pituitary down regulation and increased significantly both after GH/hMG and placebo/hMG ovulation induction treatment. Clinical pregnancy rate (PR) per embryo transfer and implantation rate were 40% versus 32% and 17.9% versus 11.3% in the GH and placebo groups, respectively, and were not statistically different. In normo-ovulatory women undergoing ovulation induction for IVF, GH supplementation to hMG after GnRH-a pituitary down regulation does not seem to augment ovarian response or improve embryo quality. The effect of this regimen on actual PRs and implantation rates needs further clarification.

Growth hormone and athletes.

Growth hormone is a powerful anabolic hormone that affects all body systems and plays an important role in muscle growth. It is released from the anterior pituitary in response to a variety of stimuli including exercise, sleep, stress, and the administration of a variety of drugs and amino acids. Serum levels are variable and are dependent on such factors as age, sex, body composition and level of fitness. Animal experiments have shown that growth hormone can partially reverse surgically induced muscle atrophy and weakness. Growth hormone administration to normal animals leads to muscle hypertrophy, but this muscular growth is not accompanied by increased strength. Growth hormone excess leads to acromegaly, a disease with significant morbidity, including a myopathy in which muscles appear larger but are functionally weaker. Although there is no scientific evidence documenting an improvement in athletic performance following growth hormone supplementation, it is reported that this practice is becoming more widespread among athletes wishing to avoid detection with current doping control measures. There are anecdotal reports that athletes are injecting cadaveric or biosynthetic forms of growth hormone, both of which are associated with potentially serious complications. In addition, some athletes are ingesting drugs and amino acids in the belief that their endogenous growth hormone secretion will be increased. There have been no scientific studies on the effects of growth hormone supplementation, and the anecdotal reports have been equivocal, with some individuals reporting spectacular results while others report no change. Despite the lack of valid evidence for its efficacy and its potentially serious side effects, it has been predicted that growth hormone use may increase. Growth hormone use and abuse has the potential to dramatically change the future conduct of athletics and may prove to be a threat to the concept of fair competition.

Biochemical studies of some hydrolytic enzymes in malathion treated germinating seeds ofVigna sinensis(l): effect of growth hormone supplementation

Studies have been carried out on the different hydrolytic enzymes of the germinating seeds of V. sinensis (L) by exposing them to various concentrations of malathion (O, O dimethyl phosphorodithioate of diethyl mercaptosuccinate), an organophosphorus insecticide. At 50 ppm the insecticide induces the seedling growth and at 400 ppm caused a significant inhibition. On simultaneous application of either of the plant hormones, i.e., IAA, GA3 and kinetin with different concentrations of malathion, it was found that there was a trend to overcome of malathion inhibition of seedling growth. It was also found that treatment of seeds with growth hormones, at 400 ppm malathion exposure, helps to restore the normal activities of certain hydrolytic enzymes, which showed otherwise, significant altered activities. Kinetic studies show that the stimulation of acid phosphatase activity due to malathion exposure was non‐competitive in nature.

109: Blood volume in growth hormone deficiency (GHD)

It has been shown that panhypopituitarism or GHD is associated with decreased red cell volume (RCV), blood (BV) and plasma volume (PV) (Rodriguez and Shahidi, NEJM 285: 479, 1971). No data regarding the effect of growth hormone supplementation on BV in children with GHD have been reported. We have studied BV (Evans blue) in 24 growth-retarded children without endocrine abnormalities (I), 14 untreated (II) and 23 HGH-treated children (III) with GHD of similar age (5 to 18 years). The results were as follows: No significant sex differences were found in any group. In 10 patients with GHD studies were performed before and 3 to 6 months after onset of therapy. Mean weight related BV, PV and RCV increased significantly (paired t-test; p 0,001) by 15.2, 14.7, and 17.1%, respectively, to normal values. These observations of low BV in GHD and its restoration to normal values by HGH substitution provide evidence that HGH interferes with the regulation of BV. Informed consent of patients and/or parents was obtained in all cases.- Supported by DFG (SFB 147)