Stimulation of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor I axis by daily oral administration of a GH secretogogue (MK-677) in healthy elderly subjects

We observed the response of plasma growth hormone(GH), insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) and testosterone(T) to an acute period of ChunDoSunBup(CDSB) Qi-training. Although the basal level of GH was not different between the two groups, after the portion of the training in which the subjects were physically active (the mid-training point), plasma GH levels increased by 7.26 fold (p < 0.05) in the elderly trainees and by 1.66 fold (p < 0.05) in the young. In response to CDSB Qi-training, IGF-I levels in the young increased significantly at mid-training point, but there were no increase in the elderly. Significant correlations existed between GH and IGF-I levels in the young subjects, but not in the elderly. The T level at the mid-training point increased significantly in elderly subjects but not in the young. These results suggest that CDSB Qi-training is a potential method for modulating of the secretion of growth factor in the young and the elderly, but that the elderly IGF-I response does not equal that of the young. In addition, our study suggests CDSB Qi-training may be one mode of therapy applicable to growth factor related disorders such as GH deficiency in children and osteoporosis in the elderly, especially women.

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Recombinant growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I do not alter gonadotrophin stimulation of the baboon testis in vivo

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje.0.1310405 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 131 (4) ◽

pp. 405-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bronwyn A Crawford ◽

David J Handelsman

Keyword(s):

Growth Hormone ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Insulin Like Growth Factor ◽

Recombinant Growth Hormone ◽

Factor I ◽

Igf I ◽

Growth Factor I ◽

Human Primate ◽

Stimulation Of

Crawford BA, Handelsman DJ. Recombinant growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor I do not alter gonadotrophin stimulation of the baboon testis in vivo. Eur J Endocrinol 1994;131:405–12. ISSN 0804–4643 In vitro studies indicate a physiological role for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in paracrine regulation of testicular function and recent clinical studies suggest a potential role for growth hormone (GH) and/or IGF-I in the treatment of hypogonadotrophic states in males. This study aimed to examine the effects of pretreatment with recombinant human GH (rhGH) or rhIGF-I on the response to gonadotrophins of the non-human primate testis in vivo. Using a balanced Latin square design with repeated measures, six prepubertal male hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas) were treated in a cross-over sequence for periods of 18 days with daily im injections of rhGH (0.4 IU·kg−1 · day−1), rhIGF-I (0.1 mg·kg−1 · day−1) or saline with a 2-week washout period between each treatment. A single im injection of hCG (1500 IU) increased serum testosterone (p = 0.0002) but neither rhGH nor rhIGF-I influenced the timing or magnitude of this response (p > 0.5). A single im dose of FSH (75 IU) stimulated immunoreactive inhibin (p = 0.01) but also was unaffected in magnitude or timing by pretreatment with rhGH or rhIGF-I (p> 0.2). Circulating IGF-I levels were increased independently by hCG (p = 0.01) and FSH (p < 0.0001) administration. These findings indicate that neither GH nor IGF-I pre-treatment enhance acute gonadal responses to gonadotrophin stimulation of the prepubertal non-human primate testis in vivo. These findings suggest that GH or IGF-I treatment of hypogonadotrophic men without somatotrophin deficiency is unlikely to be beneficial. David J Handelsman, Andrology Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia

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