title: Models of GH deficiency in animal studies.
abstract: Growth hormone (GH) is a peptide hormone released from pituitary somatotrope cells that promotes growth, cell division and regeneration by acting directly through the GH receptor (GHR), or indirectly via hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) production. GH deficiency (GHD) can cause severe consequences, such as growth failure, changes in body composition and altered insulin sensitivity, depending of the origin, time of onset (childhood or adulthood) or duration of GHD. The highly variable clinical phenotypes of GHD can now be better understood through research on transgenic and naturally-occurring animal models, which are widely employed to investigate the origin, phenotype, and consequences of GHD, and particularly the underlying mechanisms of metabolic disorders associated to GHD. Here, we reviewed the most salient aspects of GH biology, from somatotrope development to GH actions, linked to certain GHD types, as well as the animal models employed to reproduce these GHD-associated alterations.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: bc2gaorm@uco.es.
authors.forename: Manuel D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Gahete
authors.affiliation: Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: justo@uco.es.
authors.forename: Raul M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Luque
authors.affiliation: Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Córdoba, Spain. Electronic address: raul.luque@uco.es.
authors.forename: Justo P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Castaño
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone
keywords: AOiGHD; GHD; IGF1; dwarf; growth hormone; long-lived