Growth hormone and insulin reverse net whole body and skeletal muscle protein catabolism in cancer patients.
The authors examined the effect of recombinant-human growth hormone (r-hGH) and insulin (INS) administration on protein kinetics in cancer patients. Twenty-eight cancer patients either received r-hGH for 3 days (GH group, n = 12, weight loss = 6 +/- 2%) or were not treated (control [CTL] group, n = 16, weight loss = 11 +/- 2%) before metabolic study. Recombinant-human growth hormone dose was 0.1 mg/kg/day (n = 6) or 0.2 mg/kg/day (n = 6). Patients then underwent measurement of baseline protein kinetics (GH/B, CTL/B) followed by a 2-hour euglycemic insulin infusion (1 mU/kg/minute) and repeat kinetic measurements (GH/INS,CTL/INS). Whole-body protein net balance (mumol leucine/kg/minute) was higher (p less than 0.05) in GH/INS (0.20 +/- 0.06) than in CTL/INS (0.06 +/- 0.03) or GH/B (-0.19 +/- 0.03). Skeletal muscle protein net balance (nmol phenylalanine/100 g/minute) in GH/INS (25 +/- 6) and CTL/INS (19 +/- 5) was higher than CTL/B (-18 +/- 3). Recombinant-human growth hormone and insulin reduce whole-body and skeletal muscle protein loss in cancer patients. Simultaneous use of these agents during nutritional therapy may benefit the cancer patient.
Wolf
R F
RF
Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021.
Pearlstone
D B
DB
Newman
E
E
Heslin
M J
MJ
Gonenne
A
A
Burt
M E
ME
Brennan
M F
MF
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007930:Leucine / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000097:blood; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
D000596:Amino Acids; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D009124:Muscle Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010649:Phenylalanine; D013006:Growth Hormone; D003404:Creatinine; D007930:Leucine