Vitamin D3 cannot revert desensitization of growth hormone (GH)-induced STAT5-signaling in GH-overexpressing mice non-calcemic tissues

Abstract Growth hormone (GH) binding to a membrane receptor dimer triggers multiple intracellular signaling pathways. Signal transducers and activators of transcription are the most relevant of these pathways for GH action. GH also activates several inhibitory mechanisms, particularly suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS/CIS) proteins. GH-overexpressing mice exhibit hepatic desensitization of the JAK2/STAT5 GH-signaling pathway, associated with an increased abundance of CIS. Vitamin D3 has been shown to inhibit GH-induced expression of CIS and SOCS-3 and therefore prolong GH signaling in osteoblast-like cells. The purpose of the present study is to determine if vitamin D3 could attenuate CIS expression in GH-overexpressing mice, and consequently allow GH JAK2/STAT5 signaling in GH-responsive tissues in these animals. The abundance of CIS, SOCS-2, SOCS-3, STAT5b and GHR, as well as STAT5b tyrosine phosphorylation after a GH stimulus, were measured in liver and muscle of GHRH-transgenic mice treated with 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 for 7 days. This treatment did not diminish CIS expression in GH-overexpressing mice tissues, nor did the content of SOCS-2 and SOCS-3 significantly vary. GH-induced STAT5b phosphorylation levels were similar to basal values in transgenic mice liver treated with or without vitamin D; the refractoriness to GH was also present in muscle. Therefore, treatment with vitamin D was not sufficient to revert STAT5 GH signaling desensitization in non-calcemic tissues in GH-overexpressing mice.