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Growth hormone and lean tissue catabolism during long‐term glucocorticoid treatment
Author(s) -
Bennet William M.,
Haymond Morey W.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1992.tb00951.x
Subject(s) - catabolism , endocrinology , medicine , glucocorticoid , hormone , growth hormone , anabolism , biology , chemistry , metabolism
SUMMARY objectives The aim of the study was to determine whether growth hormone (GH) treatment decreased net protein catabolism of lean tissues in patients receiving chronic glucocorticoid treatment design Whole body leuclne kinetics were measured In post‐absorptive conditions using a 1‐ 14 C‐leucine infusion before and during GH administration (0·0125 mg/kg/day; 0·033 U/kg/day) for 7 days. patients We studied four patients (age range 31–71 years) who had taken prednisone (mean ± SEM 0·21·0±03 mg/kg/day, total dose 10–27·5 mg/day) for longer than 5 months for various lung diseases results During GH treatment leucine oxidation decreased (baseline 0·44·0±07 vs GH 0·37·0±05 μ mol/kg lean body mass/min, P = 0·01) and non‐oxidative leuclne disposal increased (1·95·0±10 vs 2·05·0±09 μ mol/kg lean body mass/min, P = 0·02) but leuclne appearance was unaltered. conclusions We conclude that GH decreased amino acid catabolism and improved protein synthesis without altering protein breakdown in patients receiving chronic glucocorticoid treatment. There may be a role for GH in mitigating the protein catabolic side‐effects of prolonged glucocorticoid treatment