concept

Growth hormone (GH)

Growth hormone (GH), also known as somatotropin, is a molecule with diverse action due in part to the widespread distribution of its receptor. As implied in its name, GH can stimulate the growth and differentiation of muscle, bone and cartilage (Daniels and Martin, 1991). As early as the 1920s pituitary extracts were used to elicit the growth promoting effects in rats and dogs that were later ascribed to GH (Tattersall, 1996). In addition to the pituitary gland, GH is produced in many other tissues. This suggests that in addition to its function as a classic endocrine hormone, GH may also function in an autocrine/ paracrine fashion. In addition to direct receptormediated activity, GH stimulates the production of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) that mediate many growth promoting actions of the hormone.

Ref:
Lisbeth A. Welniak, William J. Murphy, in The Cytokine Handbook (Fourth Edition), 2003

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Added on Feb 7, 2022 by Barbara Van De Keer
Edited on Apr 20, 2023 by Barbara Van De Keer

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