Endocrinology, Vol 116, 2563-2567, Copyright © 1985 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Local injections of human or rat growth hormone or of purified human somatomedin-C stimulate unilateral tibial epiphyseal growth in hypophysectomized rats

SM Russell and EM Spencer

The growth-promoting actions of GH are thought to be mediated by somatomedin(s) (Sms), but unilateral bone growth in hypophysectomized (HX) rats given local injections of human (h) GH has been reported. Using slightly different methods, we have confirmed these results with purified hGH and have extended them to show that four daily injections directly into the tibial epiphyseal plate of 1 or 5 micrograms/day purified rat GH or recombinant DNA-derived hGH, but not of hPRL (6 micrograms/day) caused significant cartilage growth compared to that of the vehicle-injected contralateral tibia in rats that had been HX 14 days before the first injection. Thus, it is unlikely that the effects of GH are due to contaminating growth factors in the GH preparations, because the bacteria-derived preparation of hGH, which is unlikely to have such contaminants, was also active. Furthermore, we have shown that similar injections of 100 or 500 ng/day purified hSm-C caused unilateral tibial growth in rats HX 8 days, but not 14 days, before the first injection. These results demonstrate that both GH and Sm-C have direct growth-promoting effects on cartilage in vivo and are compatible with the theory that GH may act by stimulating local SM synthesis.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. A. Kaplan and P. Cohen REVIEW: The Somatomedin Hypothesis 2007: 50 Years Later J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2007; 92(12): 4529 - 4535. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. C. Lee, A. D. Bier, F. Nickisch, C. P. Eberson, M. G. Ehrlich, and Q. Chen Epiphysiodesis with Infusion of Stromal Cell-Derived Factor-1 in Rabbit Growth Plates J. Bone Joint Surg. Am., January 1, 2007; 89(1): 102 - 113. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Suzuki, K. Itoh, and K. Ohyama Local administration of IGF-I stimulates the growth of mandibular condyle in mature rats J. Orthod., June 1, 2004; 31(2): 138 - 143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. C. J. van der Eerden, M. Karperien, and J. M. Wit Systemic and Local Regulation of the Growth Plate Endocr. Rev., December 1, 2003; 24(6): 782 - 801. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Le Roith, C. Bondy, S. Yakar, J.-L. Liu, and A. Butler The Somatomedin Hypothesis: 2001 Endocr. Rev., February 1, 2001; 22(1): 53 - 74. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K. Okazaki, S. Jingushi, T. Ikenoue, K. Urabe, H. Sakai, A. Ohtsuru, K. Akino, S. Yamashita, S. Nomura, and Y. Iwamoto Expression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Messenger Ribonucleic Acid in Developing Osteophytes in Murine Experimental Osteoarthritis and in Rats Inoculated with Growth Hormone-Secreting Tumor Endocrinology, October 1, 1999; 140(10): 4821 - 4830. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				C. Ohlsson, B.-A. Bengtsson, O. G. P. Isaksson, T. T. Andreassen, and M. C. Slootweg Growth Hormone and Bone Endocr. Rev., February 1, 1998; 19(1): 55 - 79. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				Y. Umayahara, C. Ji, M. Centrella, P. Rotwein, and T. L. McCarthy CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Protein delta  Activates Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Gene Transcription in Osteoblasts. IDENTIFICATION OF A NOVEL CYCLIC AMP SIGNALING PATHWAY IN BONE J. Biol. Chem., December 12, 1997; 272(50): 31793 - 31800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. L. McCarthy, C. Ji, H. Shu, S. Casinghino, K. Crothers, P. Rotwein, and M. Centrella 17beta -Estradiol Potently Suppresses cAMP-induced Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Gene Activation in Primary Rat Osteoblast Cultures J. Biol. Chem., July 18, 1997; 272(29): 18132 - 18139. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Zezulak and H Green The generation of insulin-like growth factor-1--sensitive cells by growth hormone action Science, August 1, 1986; 233(4763): 551 - 553. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A Nilsson, J Isgaard, A Lindahl, A Dahlstrom, A Skottner, and O. Isaksson Regulation by growth hormone of number of chondrocytes containing IGF-I in rat growth plate Science, August 1, 1986; 233(4763): 571 - 574. [Abstract] [PDF]