Growth hormone and androgen effects in the third decade.
Two male hypopituitary dwarfs were treated with human pituitary growth hormone (hGH) from the ages of 24.3 and 22.7 years, at bone ages of 13-14 years TW2-RUS. Height, weight, upper arm circumference and skinfolds, and skeletal maturation were studied during 1.7 and 2.2 years of hGH alone, followed by 3.1 and 3.0 years of hGH combined with exogenous androgen. Although height growth rate was doubled by hGH alone, actual growth during first year was only 2.2 and 3.5 cm. Addition of androgen caused growth rate of about 8 cm in first year, and total height gains of 17 and 16 cm. These figures are similar to those of normal late maturers, of hyposomatotropism with spontaneous puberty, and of hypogonadotropic hypogonadists receiving androgen. So at pubertal bone age hGH effect on height is largely dependent on presence of androgen, irrespective of chronological age. Arm fat and muscle underwent profound changes under influence of hGH alone (particularly fat) and with androgen (particularly muscle).
Van der Werff ten Bosch
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D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition; D001827:Body Height; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024510:Muscle Development; D013739:Testosterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D013739:Testosterone; D013006:Growth Hormone