Growth hormone
| Growth hormone 1 | |
|---|---|
Growth hormone
|
|
| Identifiers | |
| Symbol | GH1 |
| Entrez | 2688 |
| HUGO | 4261 |
| OMIM | 139250 |
| RefSeq | NM_022562 |
| UniProt | P01241 |
| Other data | |
| Locus | Chr. 17 q22-q24 |
| Growth hormone 2 | |
|---|---|
| Identifiers | |
| Symbol | GH2 |
| Entrez | 2689 |
| HUGO | 4262 |
| OMIM | 139240 |
| RefSeq | NM_002059 |
| UniProt | P01242 |
| Other data | |
| Locus | Chr. 17 q22-q24 |
Growth hormone (GH), also known as somatotropin (or as human growth hormone [hGH or HGH] in its human form), is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in human development. It is a type of mitogen which is specific only to certain kinds of cells. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by somatotropic cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland.
GH is a stress hormone that raises the concentration of glucose and free fatty acids. It also stimulates production of IGF-1.
A recombinant form of hGH called somatropin (INN) is used as a prescription drug to treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. In the United States, it is only available legally from pharmacies, by prescription from a doctor. In recent years in the United States, some doctors have started to prescribe growth hormone in GH-deficient older patients (but not on healthy people) to increase vitality. While legal, the efficacy and safety of this use for HGH has not been tested in a clinical trial. At this time, HGH is still considered a very complex hormone, and many of its functions are still unknown.
In its role as an anabolic agent, HGH has been used by competitors in sports since at least 1982, and has been banned by the IOC and NCAA. Traditional urine analysis does not detect doping with HGH, so the ban was unenforceable until the early 2000s, when blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were starting to be developed. Blood tests conducted by WADA at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece targeted primarily HGH. Use of the drug for performance enhancement is not currently approved by the FDA.
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