Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of recombinant human growth hormone (GH) on bone mineral density (BMD) in persons age 50 and older, with normal pituitary function, with or at risk for developing osteoporosis. We systematically reviewed randomized clinical trials (RCTs), searching six databases, and conducted meta-analyses to examine GH effects on BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Data for fracture incidence, bone metabolism biomarkers, and adverse events were also extracted and analysed. Thirteen RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Pooled effect sizes suggested no significant GH effect on BMD. Pooled effect sizes were largest, but nonsignificant, when compared to placebo. GH had a significant effect on several bone metabolism biomarkers. A significantly higher rate of adverse events was observed in the GH groups. Meta-analysis of RCTs suggests that GH treatment for persons with or at risk for developing osteoporosis results in very small, nonsignificant increases in BMD.

This work describes the application of a homologous radioimmunoassay (RIA) in the measurement ofplasma and pituitary growth hormone levels of tilapia maintained at 20 and 26 °C, using recombinant tilapia growth hormone (rtiGH). RIA sensitivity (ED90) was 0.08 ng/ml and ED50 was 0.62 ± 0.02 ng/ml. Intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 3.3 and 10.6% respectively, for a plasma sample of 1 ng/ml of tiGH. Mammalian or salmonids growth hormones, thyrotropins or tilapia prolactins did not show cross-reactivity with rtiGH antiserum. Plasma and pituitary extract of Oreochromis niloticus gave inhibition curves parallel to the rtiGH standard curve without interaction with serial dilutions either of tissue extracts or plasma from hypophysectomized tilapia. Pituitary extracts from other cichlid fish showed parallel competitive binding curves. Pituitary extracts of perciform fish exhibited a lower affinity to anti-rtiGH serum, while extracts of species from more distant families showed only negligible cross-reactivity or none at all. The effects of water temperature on plasma concentrations and pituitary contents of GH were investigated in tilapia acclimatized to 26 and to 20 °C. Measurements have been performed at the beginning and at the end of a two-week experiment. Whereas in fish from colder water plasma GH mean values were decreased, only a similar tendency was observed in pituitary GH contents. These results emphasize the hypothesis wich reports that the increase of growth with temperature is, at least in part, controlled by GH.

Human growth hormone like peptides were present in Penaeus indicus as two molecular forms: one with a molecular weight about 25 kDa which is similar to that of the vertebrate growth hormone and a smaller form of 2 kDa. Quantitative variations of hGH-like peptides in different larval stages of three species of Penaeids (Penaeus vannamei, P. stylirostris, P. indicus) suggest a possible involvement of hGH-like peptides in the development. Human growth hormone (hGH) supplementation in the diet of Penaeus vannamei larvae seems to have a positive effect on the size and on the quality of the animals estimated by their resistance to salinity stress.

31 patients presenting a Major Depressive Episode were divided into two groups (endogenous versus neurotic depression), in keeping with the Newcastle criteria (Garside and Roth, 1974). 10 patients were allocated to each group for the realization of a test of growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine stimulation.

The patients received no psychotropes for 8 days prior to the test. Mean age for the neurotic and endogenous groups was respectively 36.67 ± 3.18 years and 44.71 ± 2.56 years. Severity of depression, assessed with the Hamilton rating scale (21 items), was comparable in the two groups (35.35 ± 4.12 versus 39.8 ± 6.13).

The test was carried out in two phases in each patient. During the initial phase, saline was infused over 10 minutes and continuous sampling was realized over a 4-hour period (automatic fraction collector with peristaltic pump), at between 9 AM and 1 PM. 48 hours later, the same procedure was repeated with the addition of 15 µg clonidine. This procedure allowed partial neutralization, for interpretation of results, of the «test apprehension» effect. Assays were carried out by radioimmunoassay (pooled samples), and correspond to real values for 10-minute time intervals (integrated values).

Spontaneous GH secretion in the endogenous group was significantly lower (0.57 ± 0.16 ng/ml) than in the neurotic group (5.03 ± 1.08 ng/ml) and the control group (2.47 ± 0.78 ng/ml). After clonidine stimulation, GH response in the neurotic group was identical to that in the control group. No significant response was observed in the endogenous group. These results confirm those of several previous studies (Matussek, Charney, Checkley, Boyer, Corn, Siever) and seem to indicate hyposensitivity of the post-synaptic α2-adrenergic receptors in endogenous depression. Nevertheless, spontaneous GH hyposecretion in the same patients necessarily involves other mechanisms. The hypotheses concerning these mechanisms will be discussed in the second part of this study.