Steroid myopathy: pathogenesis and effects of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I administration.
Glucocorticoids have been widely used in the treatment of autoimmune and other diseases. Chronic steroid use, however, could cause proximal muscle weakness and atrophy, termed steroid myopathy. The onset of steroid myopathy is usually insidious and there are no specific laboratory findings except for elevated urinary creatine excretion. Muscle biopsy reveals non-specific type II fiber atrophy. There are many reports showing preventive effects of either growth hormone (GH) or insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I on steroid myopathy. The pathogenesis of steroid myopathy is not fully understood. Recently, glutamine synthetase has been reported to play a key role in steroid myopathy. GH as well as IGF-I decreased the steroid-induced glutamine synthetase activity in skeletal muscle.
Kanda
F
F
Third Division, Department of Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. kanda@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Okuda
S
S
Matsushita
T
T
Takatani
K
K
Kimura
K I
KI
Chihara
K
K
D000818:Animals; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone