GROWTH HORMONE

somatotropic hormone
or somatotropin
Dr Sofia
 Structure and Source of Growth Hormone

• GH is a large peptide hormone, with 191

amino acids
• GH is produced by somatotroph cells of the
anterior pituitary
 Growth Hormone Exerts Much of Its Effect Through
Intermediate Substances Called “Somatomedins”
(Also Called “Insulin-Like Growth Factors”)
Brain
Pituitary
Growth Hormone (GH)

IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs)

Liver Growth
IGF
 Duration of Action of Growth
Hormone
• Short Duration of Action of Growth Hormone but
Prolonged Action of Somatomedin C.
• Growth hormone attaches only weakly to the plasma
proteins in the blood but IGF has high affinity &
specificity prolong the half-life of IGF in circulation
• Duration of Action of
• Growth Hormone is 20 minutes
• Somatomedin C is 20 hours
 Actions of Growth Hormone
• It causes growth of almost all tissues of the
body by
1. increased sizes of the cells (hypertrophy)
2. Increased mitosis, with development of
greater numbers of cells (hyperplasia)
3. specific differentiation of certain types of
cells bone growth cells and early muscle
cells.
 Growth Hormone Promotes Protein
Deposition in Tissues & reducing the
breakdown of proteins
1. Enhancement of Amino Acid Transport
Through the Cell Membranes.
2. Enhancement of RNA Translation to Cause
Protein Synthesis by the Ribosomes.
3. Increased Nuclear Transcription of DNA to
Form RNA.
4. Decreased Catabolism of Protein and Amino
Acids
Growth Hormone Enhances Fat Utilization
for Energy

• Release of fatty acids from adipose tissue

increasing the concentration of fatty acids in the
body fluids.
growth hormone enhances the conversion of F.A to
acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) and
Its subsequent utilization for energy.
 Growth Hormone Decreases
Carbohydrate Utilization
(1) decreased glucose uptake in tissues such as
skeletal muscle and fat,
(2) increased glucose production by the liver,
(3) increased insulin secretion
Growth Hormone Stimulates Cartilage
and Bone Growth
• This results from effects of growth hormone on
bone,
• (1) increased deposition of protein by the
chondrocytic and osteogenic cells that cause
bone growth,
• (2) increased rate of reproduction of these cells,
• (3) a specific effect of converting chondrocytes
• into osteogenic cells, thus causing deposition of
new bone.
 Mechanisms of bone growth
Two principal mechanisms of bone growth.
1. the long bones grow in length at the epiphyseal
cartilages (epiphyses are separated from the shaft).
2. Osteoblasts new bone on the surfaces of older bone.
Simultaneously, osteoclasts remove old bone.
• Growth hormone strongly stimulates osteoblasts.
• bones can continue to become thicker throughout life
under the influence of growth hormone; true for the
membranous bones.
Actions of Growth Hormone
- increases skeletal growth
- increases muscular growth
- increases amino acid uptake and protein
synthesis
- increased use of lipids for energy
- decreased storage of carbohydrates
 GROWTH HORMONE

indirect effects direct effects

+
+ +

Insulin-like Growth Factor

lipolysis in fat cells carbohydrate
metabolism

fat cells muscle

Increases FFA, glycerol, and sugars in

chondrocytes circulation

lipogenesis Protein synthesis

cartilage formation
Regulation of growth hormone
1 Low blood glucose 1 Low blood glucose 6 6High
High
blood
blood
glucose
glucose
(hypoglycemia) (hypoglycemia) (hyperglycemia)
(hyperglycemia)
stimulates release of stimulates release of stimulates
stimulates
release
release
of of

GHRH GHRH
GHIH GHIH

2 GHRH stimulates 2 GHRH stimulates 77 GHIH

GHIHinhibits
inhibits
secretion secretion secretion
secretionof
of
of hGH by of hGH by hGH
hGHbyby
somatotrophs somatotrophs somatotrophs
somatotrophs

hGH hGH

Anterior
Anterior
pituitary
pituitary

3 hGH and IGFs speed3 hGH and IGFs speed 8 8 Alevel

A low lowoflevel
hGHofand
hGH and
up breakdown of liver up breakdown of liver IGFs decreases
IGFs decreases
the rate
the rate
glycogen into glucose, glycogen into glucose, of glycogen
of glycogen
breakdown
breakdown
which enters the bloodwhich enters the blood in the in
liver
theand
liverglucose
and glucose
more rapidly more rapidly entersenters
the blood
the blood
more more
slowlyslowly

4 Blood glucose level 4 Blood glucose level 9 Blood

9 Blood
glucoseglucose
level level
rises to normal rises to normal falls tofalls
normal
to normal
(about 90 mg/100 mL) (about 90 mg/100 mL) (about(about
90 mg/100
90 mg/100
mL) mL)

5 If blood glucose 5 If blood glucose 10 If blood glucose

continues to increase, continues to increase, continues to decrease,
hyperglycemia inhibitshyperglycemia inhibits hypoglycemia inhibits
release of GHRH release of GHRH release of GHIH
 Control of GH Release
• GH is under the control of two hypothalamic
releasing factors, GHRH and somatostatin.
• GHRH Gs protein-coupled receptor to
increase cyclic AMP-dependent protein
kinase A activityresulting in increased GH
synthesis and release.
• Somatostatin Gi protein coupled receptor,
decreasing cAMP levels.
Regulation of GH Expression in
Somatotrophs
GHRH somatostatin

AC
Gs Gi
(-)

cAMP

PKA

GH synthesis
 Clinical Aspects
• Overproduction of GH
• Underproduction of GH
• End-organ resistance
 Clinical Aspects
• Overproduction of GH
– Gigantism
– Acromegaly
• Underproduction of GH
– Hypopituitary dwarfism
• End-organ resistance
– Laron’s Syndrome
Acromegaly
-overproduction of GH
-before puberty: gigantism (excessive growth of long bones)
-in adults: causes excessive growth of cartilage
-symptoms
 Laron’s Syndrome
• Defective GH receptor
• recessive gene
• Lethal in males
Thank you