Growth hormone improves body composition, fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance and liver triacylglycerol in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
Growth hormone has been used experimentally in two studies to treat individuals with type 2 diabetes, with both reporting beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. However, concerns over potential diabetogenic actions of growth hormone complicate its anticipated use to treat type 2 diabetes. Thus, an animal model of type 2 diabetes could help evaluate the effects of growth hormone for treating this condition.


METHODS
Male C57BL/6J mice were placed on a high-fat diet to induce obesity and type 2 diabetes. Starting at 16 weeks of age, mice were treated once daily for 6 weeks with one of four different doses of growth hormone. Body weight, body composition, fasting blood glucose, insulin, glucose tolerance, liver triacylglycerol, tissue weights and blood chemistries were determined.


RESULTS
Body composition measurements revealed a dose-dependent decrease in fat and an increase in lean mass. Analysis of fat loss by depot revealed that subcutaneous and mesenteric fat was the most sensitive to growth hormone treatment. In addition, growth hormone treatment resulted in improvement in glucose metabolism, with the highest dose normalising glucose, glucose tolerance and liver triacylglycerol. In contrast, insulin levels were not altered by the treatment, nor did organ weights change. However, fasting plasma leptin and resistin were significantly decreased after growth hormone treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Growth hormone therapy improves glucose metabolism in this mouse model of obesity and type 2 diabetes, providing a means to explore the molecular mechanism(s) of this treatment.
List
E O
EO
Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, 101 Konneker Research Laboratories, Athens, OH 45701, USA.
Palmer
A J
AJ
Berryman
D E
DE
Bower
B
B
Kelder
B
B
Kopchick
J J
JJ
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000378:metabolism*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014280:Triglycerides; D013006:Growth Hormone