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Effect of growth hormone on plasminogen activator and inhibitor activity in rat
P Bubber1, A Sharma2, A Chauhan2
1Department of Biochemistry, School of Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi, 110068 India.
Insights
Growth hormone (GH) treatment improved kidney function in rats by increasing plasminogen activator (PA) activity and reducing cholesterol. This suggests GH may help manage growth failure in chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Endocrinology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Growth retardation is a major complication in chronic kidney disease (CKD), linked to increased morbidity and mortality.
- Disturbances in growth hormone (GH) are implicated in CKD-related complications and homeostasis disruption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of GH administration on plasminogen activators (PA) in rat kidneys.
- To assess GH's impact on plasma levels of PA, plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), glucose, fibrinogen, and serum lipid profiles.
Main Methods:
- Rats received daily subcutaneous injections of 250 mU GH/kg body weight for one week.
- Measurements included kidney PA activity, plasma PA, PAI, glucose, fibrinogen, and serum lipid profiles (cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, VLDL).
Main Results:
- GH treatment significantly increased kidney PA activity compared to controls.
- No significant changes were observed in plasma PA, PAI, or fibrinogen levels.
- GH administration led to decreased plasma glucose, total cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol.
- Triglycerides and VLDL levels showed significant increases in the GH-treated group.
Conclusions:
- GH administration may enhance renal function by boosting kidney PA activity and lowering blood cholesterol.
- GH shows potential in improving growth failure associated with CKD by aiding homeostatic balance.
Abstract:
Growth retardation is one of the significant changes in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Disturbances in growth hormone (GH) are held responsible for several complications in CKD. GH is a protein based peptide hormone which directly or indirectly regulates renal functions to ensure homeostasis. We investigated the effects of growth hormone on plasminogen activators (PA) in rat kidney, PA and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI), glucose and fibrinogen in plasma and serum lipid profile. Rats were injected daily with 250 mU GH kg-1 body weight subcutaneously for one week. Growth hormone treatment increased PA activity significantly in rat kidneys as compared to controls. No changes were seen in PA, PAI and fibrinogen levels in the plasma of two groups of rats. There was significant decrease in plasma glucose, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels in serum of treated group resulting in the decrease of HDL/LDL and total cholesterol/cholesterol ratios. However, triglycerides and VLDL showed significant higher activity in the serum of treated group as compared to controls. Our data suggests that GH administration might improve renal function by increasing PA activity in kidney as well as by reducing the cholesterol content in blood. GH may be effective in improving growth failure as it helps to maintain the normal homeostatic balance.
