Open AccessBody Composition and Tissue Distributions in Growth Hormone Deficient Adults Before and After Growth Hormone Treatment
Author(s) -
Lönn Lars,
Johansson Gudmundur,
Sjöström Lars,
Kvist Henry,
Odén Anders,
Bengtsson BengtÅke
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
obesity research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1550-8528
pISSN - 1071-7323
DOI - 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1996.tb00511.x
Subject(s) - medicine , trunk , adipose tissue , endocrinology , hormone , growth hormone , growth hormone deficiency , lean body mass , crossover study , body weight , biology , pathology , ecology , alternative medicine , placebo
This study examines short and long‐term effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on body composition and regional tissue distributions by using a multicompartment technique based on computed tomography. Part I includes nine subjects aged 46 ± 9 years with adult onset GH deficiency who were examined before and in the end of 6 months treatment with rhGH (0.4 U. kg −1 . week −1 ) in a double‐blind crossover trial. Part II is an ongoing open trial including seven of the males in part I. They were treated with rhGH (0.25 U. kg −1 . week −1 ) over an additional period of 24 months. Adipose tissue (AT) was reduced by 4.7 kg (p<0.01) while the muscle plus skin compartment (M) and visceral organs (V) were increased by 2.4 (p<0.05) and 0.7 kg (p<0.01), respectively, over 6 months of treatment with a high rhGH dose. A preferential lipid mobilization occurred in the visceral and subcutaneous trunk depots resulting in a changed AT distribution. Muscles of legs and arms increased while the increase of trunk muscles did not reach significance. The body composition changes were maintained over 2 years additional treatment. The preferential loss in visceral AT was further pronounced while other changes in tissue distributions observed during the first 6 months tended to be reversed on the lower rhGH dosage. It is concluded that growth hormone has profound and discordant effects on AT, M and V and with associated changes in tissue distributions. The beneficial effects on body composition seen in short‐term treatment is preserved throughout an additional 24 months period of treatment.