Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026
Analysis of Translation in the Developing Mouse Brain using Polysome Profiling
Published on: May 22, 2021
Translational neuroendocrinology: control of human growth
P E Clayton1, M S Gill, V Tillmann
1Centre for Paediatrics & Child Health, Institute of Human Development, Faculty of Medical & Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
Insights
Human growth relies on hormones like growth hormone (GH). Irregular GH secretion patterns, not daily doses, correlate with better growth rates in children and rats.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Human growth is regulated by hormones, primarily the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 axis.
- Understanding growth coordination is vital for normal development and identifying/treating growth disorders.
- Both humans and model organisms like C. elegans exhibit growth characterized by periods of rapid growth and stasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between growth hormone (GH) secretion patterns and growth rate.
- To determine if GH profile 'disorderliness' impacts growth.
- To explore optimal GH treatment regimens based on physiological principles.
Main Methods:
- Measured urinary GH as a surrogate for GH secretion to identify multi-day rhythms.
- Assessed GH profile disorderliness using approximate entropy.
- Tested varying GH administration regimens in dwarf rats to evaluate long bone growth.
Main Results:
- Disorderliness in GH profiles, rather than consistent daily secretion, was linked to improved growth rate in healthy children.
- Dwarf rats showed better long bone growth with week-to-week or random GH dose variations compared to standard daily doses.
- GH secretion exhibits rhythms with frequencies of several days, distinct from daily pulsatility.
Conclusions:
- Growth rate is influenced by the variability and disorderliness of GH secretion profiles.
- Non-standardized, variable GH administration may be more effective for promoting growth than fixed daily doses.
- Findings have implications for optimizing clinical GH treatment strategies based on physiological secretion patterns.
Abstract:
Human growth is driven by both basic cell processes as well as hormones, in particular the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 axis. Understanding how these mechanisms are coordinated is not only critical to achieving a normal growth rate, but also to recognising potential new causes of disordered growth and how they might be treated. We have demonstrated in healthy children that height is gained by periods of rapid growth interspersed by periods of very slow growth or even stasis. We have also shown that a lower order organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, grows in a similar manner. By contrast, secretion of GH from somatotrophs occurs on a daily basis in discrete pulses over a 24-h period. We have used the measurement of GH in urine as a surrogate marker of GH secretion to show that there are rhythms of GH output with frequencies of several days. We then assessed which attributes of these GH profiles were related to growth and found that disorderliness in the GH profile (as measured by approximate entropy) was related to better growth rate. This feature was then tested in the dwarf rat using different GH regimens to introduce variation into the administration of daily GH injections. Better long bone growth was associated with week-to-week or even random dose variation compared to the same amount of GH delivered as a standard daily dose. Understanding the control of growth has implications in clinical practice for modelling GH treatment regimens based on physiological principles.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Hormones and Bone Tissue
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...
01:29Translational Regulation
01:10Nature and Nurture
02:24Regulation of Expression Occurs at Multiple Steps
Transcription results in the generation of precursor (pre-mRNA) that consists of both exons and introns, which needs further processing before being translated to a...
01:28Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
01:27Major Hormones and Their Functions
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and...