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High-protein induced renal enlargement is growth hormone independent
Johan W van Neck1, Vesna Cingel, Arlène K van Vliet
1Laboratory of Pediatrics, Subdivision of Molecular Endocrinology, Erasmus University/Sophia Children's Hospital Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vanneck@plch.fgg.eur.nl
Background:
Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been postulated as pathogenic factors in several forms of renal growth, including that induced by high-protein (HP) diets. Compensatory renal growth (CRG) following renal uninephrectomy is strictly GH dependent, while the exact role of GH as a regulating factor in HP induced renal growth has not been fully clarified.
Methods:
To elucidate a possible direct role for GH in HP-induced renal growth, we examined the effect of a newly developed specific GH-receptor (GHR) antagonist (B2036-PEG) on renal growth and renal GH/IGF-system expression in HP-fed mice.
Results:
Mice fed a HP diet (45% protein) for one week demonstrated renal hypertrophy and increased renal IGF-I. GH receptor antagonist (GHRA) treatment neither modified renal IGF-I nor abolished the renal hypertrophy. In contrast, however, GHRA administration did modify renal mRNA expression of many members of the GH and IGF systems.
Conclusions:
The major new finding is that HP-induced renal growth in adult mice is GH independent.