The hormone ghrelin regulates secretion of growth hormone and energy homeostasis. Sun et al (2006), in this issue of Cell Metabolism, demonstrate that ghrelin inhibits insulin secretion. Deletion of ghrelin increased basal insulin level, enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and improved peripheral insulin sensitivity. These effects were not related to changes ...

Because weaning is the point when the nutrient composition of feed changes for the neonatal ruminant, the present experiment was conducted to assess the developmental changes in the kinetics of glucose and urea over this period, using stable isotopes of glucose and urea, at 4, 13, and 24 wk in ...

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by a lack of insulin, causing elevated blood glucose, often with associated insulin resistance. Over time, especially in genetically susceptible individuals, such chronic hyperglycemia can cause tissue injury. Dysregulation of growth factors in diabetes occurs through biochemical and hemodynamic pathways. In some tissues affected by diabetes, ...

This study assessed the in vivo effects of recombinant growth hormone (rGH) administration on the expression of connexin-43 (Cx43) in bovine ovarian follicles. Two independent experiments were carried out using either estrous unsynchronized or synchronized multiparous Aberdeen Angus cows. rGH-treated animals were inoculated with a single dose of hormone (500 ...

Arginine (Arg) presents a potent growth hormone (GH) releasing activity. In vivo and in vitro studies carried out in our laboratory have demonstrated that acute treatment with Arg also increases GH gene expression. Taking into account the recognizable diabetogenic role of GH and that Arg increases insulin release, this study ...

CONTEXT: Birth weight is a bioassay for fetal insulin secretion because altered insulin secretion in utero alters insulin-mediated growth. Activating mutations in Kir6.2 are the major cause of neonatal diabetes and reduce insulin secretion by altering the closure of the beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel in the presence of ATP. OBJECTIVE: ...

BACKGROUND: The role of growth hormone (GH) in obesity is controversial. Childhood obesity is characterized by reduced GH secretion. Low, high and normal serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels have been described in obese children in the face of low GH secretion. There is conflicting information on the interaction of ...

This review describes the clinical characteristics of kidney disease in patients with diabetes in terms of functional and morphological changes, and summarizes the risk factors for progression of disease and the knowledge available today on various treatment modalities. New insights into the pathogenesis of kidney disease in diabetic patients are ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate insulin values, insulin resistance, growth factors and cytokine levels in women suffering from breast cancer and the effect of chemotherapy on these parameters. DESIGN: In a prospective study, glucose and insulin values were determined in ten previously undiagnosed diabetic postmenopausal women with stage IV breast cancer (hepatic ...

The objective of this study was to determine whether the polyol pathway enzyme aldose reductase mediates diabetes abnormalities in vascular smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth. Aldose reductase inhibitors (tolrestat or sorbinil) or antisense aldose reductase mRNA prevented hyperproliferation of cultured rat aortic SMCs induced by high glucose. Cell cycle progression ...

The growth properties and biodegradation mechanism of a Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas nitroreducens TX1 that was able to grow on branched octylphenol polyethoxylates (OPEO(n), average n=9.5) as the sole carbon source over a wide concentration range (1-100,000 mgl(-1)) were studied. Analysis of growth factors indicated the highest specific growth rate (micro) ...

We have used a porcine model of spontaneous differential fetal growth to investigate the effects of fetal size on muscle development. We hypothesized that altered muscle development may occur in small fetuses as a consequence of modified expression of selected genes of the insulin-like growth factor system. We examined the ...

There is a negative relationship between obesity and GH. However, it is not known how metabolic changes, associated with obesity, lead to a reduction in GH output. This study examined the GH axis of two mouse models of obesity, the leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mouse and the diet-induced obese (DIO; high-fat fed) ...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze growth hormone (GH) concentrations in obese women before and after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) and how resulting changes in weight, fat mass, ghrelin levels, and insulin sensitivity affect GH secretion. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Blood was sampled at 20-minute intervals for ...

OBJECTIVE: Maternal nutrition has long-term effects on offspring characteristics. Similar effects mediated through fathers have not been tested. METHODS: Outbred Swiss male mice were fasted one or six times 1 to 4 wk before mating. Offspring were killed at age intervals of 4 to 10 wk and their sera were ...

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ghrelin on insulin's capacity to suppress endogenous glucose production and promote glucose disposal in mice. To establish whether the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor can mediate the putative effect of ghrelin on the action of insulin, we also determined the ...

Serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone were measured in 25 cats with untreated diabetes mellitus (11 of which were used for follow-up measurements, one to three, four to eight, nine to 12 and 13 to 16 weeks after their treatment with insulin began), 14 diabetic ...

Ghrelin, the new recently discovered hormone, is a 28 amino-acid acylated peptide predominantly produced by the stomach characterized by a strong GH-releasing activity mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary GH secretagogues (GHSs) receptors. Ghrelin and GHSs, acting on central and peripheral receptors, exert other actions such as stimulation of ACTH and prolactin ...

INTRODUCTION: Parental height is the most important identifiable factor influencing final height (FH) of children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD), treated with GH. AIM: Assessment of FH of patients with GHD--classified into familial short stature (FSS) and non-familial short stature (non-FSS) according to parentally adjusted deficit of height. PATIENTS ...

The regulation of longitudinal bone growth at the growth plate occurs through the tightly controlled interaction of circulating systemic hormones and locally produced peptide growth factors, the net result of which is to trigger changes in gene expression by growth plate chondrocytes. These molecular events lead to carefully orchestrated alterations ...

Insulin-like growth factors-I and -II and insulin are structurally related mitogenic growth factors with multiple actions in the developing nervous system and adult CNS. Previous studies have demonstrated acute induction of insulin-like growth factors and their receptors, over a time course of several days, in response to hypoxic/ischemic insult to ...

We studied glucose metabolic adaptations in the intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) rat offspring to decipher glucose homeostasis in metabolic programming. Glucose futile cycling (GFC), which is altered when there is imbalance between glucose production and utilization, was studied during a glucose tolerance test (GTT) in 2-day-old (n = 8), 2-mo-old (n ...

A 10-year-old uncastrated male Dalmatian dog was referred for gait abnormalities consisting of chronic progressive stiffness and rigidity. Other symptoms were polyphagia associated with weight gain, polyuria and polydipsia, excessive panting, and an inspiratory stridor. The owner had noticed progressive thickening of the skin and enlargement of the tongue over ...

Previous studies have shown that intracavernous injection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) restored erectile function in diabetic rats. However, the mechanism of VEGF in diabetes-related erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been fully investigated. We hypothesize that intracavernous injection of VEGF may reverse diabetes-related ED through modulation of the insulin-like ...

Ghrelin is a newly discovered peptide and an endogenous ligand for growth hormone (GH) secretagogue (GHS) receptor. It has been shown to possess various central and peripheral effects, including GH secretion, food intake, and gastric and cardiac effects. Ghrelin and the GHS receptor are expressed also in pancreatic islets. We ...

We demonstrated that the inorganic phosphate (P(i)) requirement for growth of Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. & Zucc.) seedlings is increased by elevated CO(2) concentration ([CO(2)]) and that responses of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker & Couch to P(i) supply are also altered. To investigate the growth ...

The Akt family of intracellular protein kinases regulates cellular growth, proliferation, survival and metabolism. Postnatal growth of the heart chiefly involves non-proliferative cardiac myocyte enlargement analogous to skeletal muscle growth. Cardiac hypertrophy exists in a 'physiological' form that is an adaptive response to long-term exercise training, and as a 'pathological' ...

BACKGROUND: In Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) obesity and partial growth hormone (GH) deficiency are frequently observed. The risks of cardiovascular diseases and early death are increased. We examined inflammatory markers in adult PWS, before and during 12 months of GH treatment. METHOD: Twelve PWS adults, median age 23.5 years (17-37) and ...

Insulin-like growth factors I and II are known to regulate the development of the CNS. We examined the developmental changes in insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor II expression in the postnatal rat corpus callosum. Insulin-like growth factor I and insulin-like growth factor II mRNA expression increased at ...

AIMS: To obtain an understanding of the etiology of proportional dwarfism and endocrinopathies of Bloom's syndrome BS. METHODS: Admission for 5-day periods to an NIH-supported Clinical Research Center of a randomly selected population of persons with BS (n = 11; mean age 11.5 years, range 9 months to 28.5 years) ...

There is increasing evidence for a link between prenatal growth and pubertal development. Here we highlight a selection of pubertal characteristics in children who were born small for gestational age (SGA). Boys born SGA are at risk of high levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and low levels of inhibin B ...

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the effects of growth hormone replacement on body composition, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, endothelial dysfunction and carotid intima media thickness in patients with adult-onset growth-hormone (GH) deficiency. METHODS: Twelve patients with severe GH deficiency received GH replacement for one year. In all patients, the following parameters ...

OBJECTIVE: To review histopathological and clinical data linking endocrine failure to traumatic brain injury (TBI) during acute neurosurgical treatment and rehabilitation. METHODS: A focused search of the Medline (PubMed) medical literature database and the authors' files were used to identify selected publications. RESULTS: Endocrine failure may produce clinically important consequences ...

In healthy humans, growth hormone (GH) is secreted in distinct pulses with an underlying nyctohemeral pattern. Current forms of somatropin replacement are unable to closely mimic such a release pattern, but are still able to exert the beneficial action of GH. A limited number of short-term studies in rodents and ...

Ghrelin, a peptide predominantly produced by the stomach, has been discovered as natural ligand of the GH secretagogue (GHS) receptor type 1a (GHS-R1a), suggesting the existence a new endogenous modulator of somatotrope secretion. Subsequently, ghrelin turned out to exert pleiotropic actions, consistent with the widespread distribution of ghrelin and GHS-R ...

Relief of symptoms can be achieved following surgery for growth hormone (GH)-secreting adenomas, as well as after pharmacological therapy with somatostatin analogs. Recently, long-acting somatostatin analog depot formulations, octreotide LAR and lanreotide SR have become available. Somatostatin analogs control GH/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 excess, induce tumor shrinkage in a high ...

Insulin-like peptides (ILPs) exist in insects and are encoded by multigene families that are expressed in the brain and other tissues. Upon secretion, these peptides likely serve as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors, but to date, few direct functions have been demonstrated. In Drosophila melanogaster, molecular genetic studies have revealed ...

The currently available long-acting somatostatin analogs normalize serum growth hormone (GH) levels and insulin-like growth factor-I levels in approximately 60% of patients with acromegaly. The recently introduced GH receptor antagonist, pegvisomant, is able to normalize insulin-like growth factor-I levels in virtually all acromegalic subjects. Although no correlation between increased GH ...

Insulin/insulin like growth factor 1 signaling pathway plays an essential role on the regulation of variant, interrelated and fundamental processes, such as metabolism, growth, reproduction and aging. This pathway is highly conserved during evolution. We analyzed eight vertebrate species' insulin/insulin like growth factor 1 pathway and examined the co-evolutionary relationship ...

OBJECTIVE: The GH-IGF-1 axis is affected by oestrogen. Both endogenous and exogenous oestrogen facilitates the central drive of pulsatile GH secretion. However, the effect on IGF-1 levels is more subtle, and a reduction in GH sensitivity has been proposed. The IGF generation test has confirmed reduced GH sensitivity with high ...

Hormonal adjuvants, besides being erythropoietic agents, broaden the spectrum of therapeutic options for the treatment of the anaemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Lowering elevated parathyroid hormone levels by oral calcium supplementation and phosphate restriction, by varying dialysate calcium concentrations, by administration of vitamin D3 derivatives and, in the near ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether pubertal development, duration of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1), or metabolic control play some role in the anomalies in growth observed in diabetic children. PATIENTS: We conducted a prospective evaluation of 83 patients (37 female, 46 male) who were followed from the onset of DM1 at ...

Five experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) and spray-dried bovine plasma (SDBP) and their various molecular weight fractions on performance of pigs weaned at approximately 14 or 21 d of age. In addition, the efficacy of various levels of the immunoglobulin G (IgG)-rich ...

Maturation of adipose tissue results from both the expansion of mature adipocytes and the formation of new adipocytes from adipocyte precursor cells. A variety of hormones related to adipogenesis have been identified recently. Both growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) are of major significance in adipocyte differentiation. ...

Growth hormone (GH) plays an important role in growth and metabolism by signaling via at least three major pathways, including STATs, ERK1/2, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt. Physiological concentrations of insulin promote growth probably by modulating liver GH receptor (GHR) levels in vivo, but the possible effects of insulin on GH-induced post-GHR ...

The concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6), vascular endothelium growth factor, tumor growth factor-beta, and insulin-like growth factor-1 were measured in the peritoneal fluid of patients with external genital endometriosis and healthy women by enzyme immunoassay. The effect of peritoneal fluid from patients with external genital endometriosis on proliferative activity ...

The last decade has seen two major changes in the management of patients with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary tumors. Firstly, evidence has revealed a common pattern of increased mortality in patients with elevated GH and/or the target growth factor insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Secondly, the availability of highly specific and ...

OBJECTIVE: Untreated GH-deficient adults are predisposed to insulin resistance and excess cardiovascular mortality. We showed previously that short-term treatment with a very low GH dose (LGH) enhanced insulin sensitivity in young healthy adults. The present study was therefore designed to explore the hypothesis that LGH, in contrast to the standard ...

The 'thrifty phenotype' hypothesis proposes that the fetus adapts to an adverse intrauterine milieu by optimizing the use of a reduced nutrient supply to ensure survival. However, favoring the development of some organs over that of others leads to persistent alterations in the growth and function of developing tissues. Although ...

All animals coordinate growth and maturation to reach their final size and shape. In insects, insulin family molecules control growth and metabolism, whereas pulses of the steroid 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) initiate major developmental transitions. We show that 20E signaling also negatively controls animal growth rates by impeding general insulin signaling involving ...