Recombinant growth hormone enhances muscle myosin heavy-chain mRNA accumulation and amino acid accrual in humans
Abstract
A potentially lethal complication of trauma, malignancy, and infection is a progressive erosion of muscle protein mass that is not readily reversed by nutritional support. Growth hormone is capable of improving total body nitrogen balance, but its role in myofibrillar protein synthesis in humans is unknown. The acute, in situ muscle protein response to an infusion of methionyl human growth hormone was investigated in the limbs of nutritionally depleted subjects during a period of intravenous refeeding. A 6-hr methionyl growth hormone infusion achieved steady-state serum levels comparable to normal physiologic peaks and was associated with a significant increase in limb amino acid uptake, without a change in body amino acid oxidation. Myosin heavy-chain mRNA levels, measured by quantitative dot blot hybridization, were also significantly elevated after growth hormone administration. The data indicate that methionyl growth hormone can induce intracellular amino acid accrual and increased levels of myofibrillar protein mRNA during hospitalized nutritional support and suggest growth hormone to be a potential therapy of lean body wasting.
References
Citations
Related Concepts
Related Feeds
Cachexia & Brown Fat
Cachexia is a condition associated with progressive weight loss due to severe illness. In cancer patients, it is proposed to occur as a result of tumor-induced energy wasting. Several proteins have been implicated in browning and depletion of white adipose tissue. Here is the latest research on cachexia and brown fat.
Cardiac Cachexia
Cardiac cachexia is a syndrome associated with the progressive loss of muscle and fat mass. It most commonly affects patients with heart failure and can significantly decrease the quality of life and survival in these patients. Here is the latest research on cardiac cachexia.