A child presenting with the clinical features of hyposomatotropism but with high immunoreactive plasma growth hormone is described. During short-term administration of human growth hormone (HGH) his response with regard to fasting blood-glucose and free fatty acids, plasma-somatomedin, urinary excretion of calcium, nitrogen, and hydroxyproline was minimal or absent. 6 months of treatment with HGH did not reduce the endogenous HGH secretion. Insulin secretion had not increased and plasma somatomedin levels remained extremely low. Over a period of 2 years of treatment, growth response and loss of subcutaneous fat were minimal. On serial dilution in radioimmunoassay, his growth hormone (GH) molecule yielded a parallel line with the HGH standard. In electrofocusing experiments the GH molecule was in the same pH range as growth hormone in acromegalic plasma and the major peak of clinical grade HGH (5·03 against 5·01 and 4·98). It is concluded that an overall and specific diminished responsiveness to HGH is present in this patient. This includes a lack of generation of somatomedin, which is thought to be the cause of his short stature. There was no evidence of abnormality of the GH molecule.
ABSTRACT The interaction of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II with specific type-I and -II receptor sites on rabbit articular chondrocyte membranes was studied. With labelled IGF-I as tracer, half-maximal displacement of the label was obtained with 1·4 ng IGF-I/ml and 22 ng IGF-II/ml. Using IGF-II as labelled peptide, 16 ng unlabelled IGF-II/ml and 200 ng IGF-I/ml were needed to inhibit the binding by 50%. Covalent cross-linking experiments revealed the presence of typical type-I ( M r 130 000 under reducing conditions) and type-II ( M r 260 000) receptor sites. In addition, with 125 I-labelled IGF-II a very intense labelled band appeared at M r > 300 000. This band was not found in mouse liver membranes and human placental membranes. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 120, 245–249
Bacterially synthesized human growth hormone (bhGH) administered to Snell dwarf mice during 4 weeks, induced an increase in body length and weight to a comparable degree as obtained with pituitary-derived human growth hormone (hGH). At a dose of 150 mU/day both bhGH and hGH induced a significant stimulation over saline-treated controls, of the weight of the submandibular salivary glands, the m. quadriceps femoris and gastrocnemius, the heart, liver, kidneys, thymus and spleen. The weight of the brain and the thickness of the skinfold were not influenced by either of the preparations used. When organ weights were expressed as a function of body weight, the contribution of the kidneys to body weight was significantly higher with hGH than with bhGH. The other organs studied did not show differences. As a biochemical parameter of cartilage growth, the sulfate incorporation into costal and epiphyseal cartilage in vitro was measured, and it was found to be stimulated by both hormones after short-term treatment. Thus bacterially synthesized hGH behaves identically to pituitary-derived hGH with respect to body length, sulfate incorporation into costal and epiphyseal cartilage, body weight and organ growth of Snell dwarf mice, with one exception: increase of weight of the kidneys, as a function of body weight, was more pronounced after treatment with hGH than with bhGH.
Abstract. This study was performed in order to obtain more insight in the relationship between the growth of different organs of normal Snell mice and their dwarfed littermates before and during growth hormone therapy. Beside body weight the weights of the following organs were studied: liver, kidneys, heart, the muscles quadriceps femoris and gastrocnemius, submandibular salivary glands, testes, epididymal fatpads, thymus, spleen and skinfold thickness. The data show that, similar to body weight, growth of these organs in dwarf mice is arrested at approximately 2½ weeks of age, after which little further growth occurs, leaving their absolute weight far below normal. Related to body weight the liver is close to normal, lower values are obtained for the heart and very low ones for the kidneys, the lymphoid organs, thymus and spleen, and the epididymal fatpads. At two weeks of age the weight of the brain is only slightly less than normal, but gradually stays behind until it is only 2/3 of normal at the age of 17 weeks. Due to the small weight of the dwarfs the contribution to body weight of the brain is higher than normal. Growth hormone, after 4 weeks of treatment, had induced significant growth of all organs studied, except for the testes and the thickness of the skinfold. After 10 weeks of treatment all organ weights were significantly increased. Growth was most marked in the lymphoid organs, spleen and thymus, and the epididymal fatpads (155–173% of controls). The submandibular salivary glands and the testes increased more than body weight (respectively 141 and 136% vs. 123%). Increase proportional to body weight was found for the muscles quadriceps femoris and gastrocnemius, heart, liver and kidneys. In contrast, increase of the brain (106%) and skinfold (111%) was much lower.
Journal Article PLASMA SOMATOMEDIN ACTIVITY IN CHILDREN Get access J L Van den Brande, J L Van den Brande Academic Hospital Rotterdam, Sophia Children's Hospital and Neonatal Unit Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar M V L Du Caju M V L Du Caju Academic Hospital Rotterdam, Sophia Children's Hospital and Neonatal Unit Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Acta Endocrinologica (Norway), Volume 77, Issue 1_Supplement, Apr 1974, Pages S195–S196, https://doi.org/10.1530/acta.0.077S195 Published: 01 April 1974
