Going from strength to strength: effects of growth hormone on muscle
- Date:
- October 1, 2010
- Source:
- Journal of Clinical Investigation
- Summary:
- Growth hormone has multiple effects on skeletal muscle, including promoting growth and regeneration. It is not clear, however, which effects are direct and which are mediated via induction of the protein IGF-1. New mouse research shows that growth hormone control of skeletal muscle development is IGF-1 dependent, whereas other effects are IGF-1independent.
- Share:
Growth hormone is used to treat children's growth disorders and has been used by some sports men and women to promote muscle growth and regeneration. This is because it coordinates skeletal muscle development, nutrient uptake, and nutrient utilization. It is not clear, however, which of these effects are direct and which are indirectly mediated via growth hormone induction of the protein IGF-1.
Now, however, a team of researchers, led by Thomas Clemens, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, has used mice engineered to lack in their skeletal muscle either the molecule to which growth hormone binds or the molecule to which IGF-1 binds to show that growth hormone control of skeletal muscle development is dependent on IGF-1, whereas its control of nutrient uptake is independent of IGF-1.
The authors hope that with additional work, these results will guide more informed use of growth hormone or growth hormone analogs for promoting muscle development and reducing muscle loss.
The research is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Journal of Clinical Investigation. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Mahendra D. Mavalli, Douglas J. DiGirolamo, Yong Fan, Ryan C. Riddle, Kenneth S. Campbell, Thomas van Groen, Stuart J. Frank, Mark A. Sperling, Karyn A. Esser, Marcas M. Bamman, Thomas L. Clemens. Distinct growth hormone receptor signaling modes regulate skeletal muscle development and insulin sensitivity in mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2010; DOI: 10.1172/JCI42447
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