The growth hormone axis: control and effects

Many important advances in our understanding of the growth hormone (GH) axis have occurred during the last decade. A number of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides are implicated in the control of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin release; however, the role of many of these, such as serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid and dopamine, is still a matter of discussion. As a newly isolated hypothalamic peptide with a possible role in the control of GH secretion, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide has received considerable attention. Synthetic hexapeptides that stimulate GH release (GH-releasing peptides 1, 2 and 6) have been identified. Pituitary-specific transcription factors involved in the expression of the GH gene have been identified, the GHRH receptor gene has been cloned, as well as a number of somatostatin receptor genes, and advances in our understanding of the insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins, and growth hormone-binding proteins have been made.