Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays
11:17

Comparative Analysis of Human Growth Hormone in Serum Using SPRi, Nano-SPRi and ELISA Assays

Published on: January 7, 2016

Growth hormone and aging: Regulation, signal transduction and replacement therapy

X Xu1, W E Sonntag

  • 1The Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA.

Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism: TEM
|May 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Aging is linked to decreased growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels, contributing to tissue dysfunction. This review explores age-related hormonal changes and GH

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Gerontology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Aging involves molecular, cellular, and tissue-level alterations, including changes in gene expression and morphology.
  • Declining hormone concentrations and/or action are hypothesized to drive many aging processes.
  • Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are anabolic hormones that decrease with age, contributing to age-related tissue dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review age-related changes in the regulation of GH and IGF-I.
  • To discuss new findings on mechanisms of tissue resistance to GH.
  • To explore the potential of GH as a therapeutic intervention for age-related physiological changes.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of age-related hormonal changes.
  • Analysis of molecular and cellular mechanisms of aging.
  • Discussion of therapeutic applications of GH.

Main Results:

  • Age-related decline in GH and IGF-I concentrations is a significant factor in aging.
  • Mechanisms of GH resistance in aging tissues are being elucidated.
  • GH therapy may offer potential to mitigate some age-associated physiological decline.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced GH and IGF-I signaling contribute to the functional decline observed in aging.
  • Understanding GH resistance mechanisms is crucial for developing effective interventions.
  • GH holds potential as a therapeutic strategy to address age-related physiological changes and improve quality of life in older adults.

Related Concept Videos

Healing I: Introduction01:11

Healing I: Introduction

Healing is the physiological process by which the body restores the integrity and function of damaged tissues following injury. It involves a coordinated interplay of cellular proliferation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and growth factor signaling. The extent and nature of the tissue damage determine whether healing occurs by resolution, regeneration, or replacement.ResolutionResolution represents the most complete form of healing, occurring when the injury is minimal and tissue...
TGF - β Signaling Pathway01:16

TGF - β Signaling Pathway

The TGF-β signaling pathway regulates cell growth, differentiation, adhesion, motility, and development. TGF-β ligands that induce TGF-β signaling are synthesized in their latent form. Several proteases or cell surface receptors such as integrins act upon the latent form, releasing the active ligand. There are three types of mammalian TGF-βs: (TGF-β1, TGF-β2, and TGF-β3) that bind as homodimers or heterodimers to TGF-β receptors. The TGF-β receptors are of three kinds RI, RII, and RIII. The RI...
Hormones and Bone Tissue01:17

Hormones and Bone Tissue

The endocrine system produces and secretes hormones, which interact with the skeletal system. These hormones control bone growth, maintain bone once it is formed, and remodel it.
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Signal Transduction: Overview01:26

Signal Transduction: Overview

Cells respond to many types of information, often through receptor proteins positioned on the membrane. They respond to chemical signals, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and other signaling molecules, initiating a series of molecular reactions to produce an appropriate response. This is called signal transduction. Cells also coordinate different responses elicited by the same signaling molecule via mediators, allowing molecular cross-talk.
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Regulation of Hormone Secretion01:19

Regulation of Hormone Secretion

Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...
Cellular Adaptation II: Hypertrophy01:26

Cellular Adaptation II: Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in the size of individual cells, resulting in the enlargement of a tissue or organ. Unlike hyperplasia, which involves an increase in cell number, hypertrophy is characterized by an increase in cell volume. This process often occurs in response to higher functional demand or hormonal stimulation, leading to the production of more structural proteins and organelles, thereby enhancing the cells' work capacity.There are two primary types of hypertrophy: physiological...