Have you ever wondered what would happen if you started taking growth hormone? Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the pituitary gland. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is derived from the cleavage of its precursor molecule, pro-opiomelanocortin.
Growth hormone release is pulsatile, with the greatest pulsatile secretion occurring approximately two hours after onset of sleep. The half-life of growth hormone in the circulation is about 20-30 minutes. serum levels of growth hormone reach their peak during puberty and decline thereafter. However, there is wide interindividual variation in the levels of circulating growth hormone.
Function
Growth hormone has direct as well as indirect effects on body growth. The direct effect depends on local tissue sensitivity to growth hormone; the indirect effect depends on insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). IGF1 is produced in liver and other tissues in response to growth hormone; it then promotes growth of bone, cartilage, and muscle. Most of the anabolic (tissue building) effects of growth hormone are actually mediated by IGF1. Liver production of IGF1 is suppressed by somatostatin (growth hormone release inhibitory factor).
Clinical Uses
The most common clinical use of recombinant human GH (rhGH) today is for children with GH deficiency syndrome (GHD), which can be congenital or acquired. GHD can result from mutations of the gene encoding GH, defects in GH synthesis or secretion, or destruction of the pituitary gland by tumors or radiation therapy. Children with GHD are shorter than expected for their age and sex; they also have delayed development of secondary sexual characteristics at puberty.
Administration of rhGH increases height velocity and results in some catch-up growth in these children; however, final adult height is not increased significantly above that predicted based on midparental height. A second indication for rhGH therapy in children is idiopathic short stature (ISS), which results in height that is more than two standard deviations below the mean for age but without any underlying cause that can be corrected medically. clinical trials have shown that administration of rhGH increases height velocity and final adult height significantly in children with ISS
Conclusion:
In humans and other animals, growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration are all stimulated by a hormone called growth hormone. Growth hormone is a peptide hormone. The pituitary gland is responsible for its production, as well as its storage and secretion. The growth of the body can be influenced both directly and indirectly by growth hormones. The treatment of children who suffer from GH deficiency syndrome is currently the clinical application of recombinant human GH which is the most common.
Carpal tunnel syndrome and fluid retention are two of the adverse effects that can come from taking GH for an extended period of time. According to Wishtv.com, it is absolutely necessary to perform careful monitoring for the signs and symptoms of potential adverse effects.
