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Endocrine Control and Regulation of Growth Hormone: An Overview

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Handbook of Growth and Growth Monitoring in Health and Disease

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Abstract

The control of growth hormone (GH) production is complex, partly because GH serves both metabolic and anabolic roles. GH exerts potent anti-insulin effects at hepatic and peripheral sites and increases fat mobilization and lipolysis. IGF-I, a critical growth factor induced by GH, is likely responsible for most anabolic (on lean mass and bone mineralization) and growth-promoting (on growth plate) activities of GH, which also requires sufficient energy stores. GH secretion is regulated by hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin interacting with circulating hormones, metabolic regulators, neurotransmitters, and additional modulatory peptides at the level of both the pituitary and the hypothalamus. Age, puberty, gender, sleep, exercise, food intake, and body composition are physiological determinants of GH secretion. Numerous hormones (ghrelin, sex steroids, glucocorticoids, thyroid hormones, insulin, glucagon, leptin, GH itself, and IGF-1) and metabolic regulators (glucose, amino acids, free fatty acids) control GH. “Normal” GH secretion covers a broad range of GH concentrations, and the definition of thresholds for GH deficiency following stimulation tests or integrated GH concentration measurement over 24 h proves to be difficult. There is no gold standard for GHD diagnosis, which relies on medical history, auxology, IGF-1/IGFBP3 measurements, GH provocative tests, and magnetic resonance imaging findings.

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Abbreviations

ALS:

Acid-labile subunit

BMI:

Body mass index

GH:

Growth hormone

GHBP:

Growth hormone-binding protein

GHD:

Growth hormone deficiency

GHR:

GH receptor

GHRH:

Growth hormone-releasing hormone

GHRP:

GH-releasing peptides

GHS-R:

Growth hormone secretagogue receptor

GPCR:

G protein-coupled receptor

IGF-I:

Insulin-like growth factor I

IGFBP:

IGF-binding protein

JAK:

Janus kinase

rhGH:

Recombinant human growth hormone

SGA:

Small for gestational age

SOCS:

Suppressors of cytokine signaling

SSTR:

Somatostatin receptor

STAT:

Signal transducers and activators of transcription

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital, 49033, Angers Cedex 01, France

    R. Coutant & N. Bouhours-Nouet

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  1. R. Coutant
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  2. N. Bouhours-Nouet
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Correspondence to R. Coutant .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Nutrition & Dietetics, King's College, Stamford St. 150, London, SE1 9NH, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

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Coutant, R., Bouhours-Nouet, N. (2012). Endocrine Control and Regulation of Growth Hormone: An Overview. In: Preedy, V. (eds) Handbook of Growth and Growth Monitoring in Health and Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1795-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1795-9_5

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