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Insights from growth hormone receptor blockade
Alex F Muller1, Aart Jan van der Lely
1Department of Internal Medicine, Diakonessenhuis Utrecht, Bosboomstraat 1, 3582 KE Utrecht, The Netherlands. amuller@diakhuis.nl
Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs (London, England : 2000)
|November 13, 2004
Summary
Pegvisomant blocks growth hormone (GH) signaling, creating a model for GH deficiency. This review examines how GH receptor blockade and fasting affect GH release, explaining fasting-induced somatotroph hyperactivity.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Metabolic Research
- Hormone Signaling
Background:
- Growth hormone (GH) plays a crucial role in metabolism and body composition.
- Understanding GH's regulatory mechanisms is vital for metabolic and endocrine research.
- Pegvisomant is a GH receptor antagonist used to study GH's effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of GH receptor blockade and fasting on GH release.
- To present a model explaining somatotroph hyperactivity during fasting.
- To analyze the combined effects of GH antagonism and fasting on hormonal regulation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on GH receptor blockade and fasting.
- Analysis of data from studies using pegvisomant in healthy male individuals.
- Development of a theoretical model for fasting-induced GH release.
Main Results:
- GH receptor blockade with pegvisomant models acute GH deficiency without altering body composition.
- Fasting, alone or with GH receptor blockade, influences determinants of GH release.
- A model is proposed to elucidate the mechanisms behind fasting-induced somatotroph hyperactivity.
Conclusions:
- GH receptor blockade provides a unique model for studying GH deficiency.
- Fasting significantly impacts GH release regulation.
- The proposed model offers insights into the neuroendocrine control of GH secretion during fasting.