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Growth Hormone Signaling in Vivo in Human Muscle and Adipose Tissue: Impact of Insulin, Substrate Background, and Growth Hormone Receptor Blockade

Medical Departments M (Endocrinology and Diabetes) (C.N., L.C.G., N.J., N.M., S.L., J.O.L.J.) and C (S.B.P.), Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Charlotte Nielsen, Medical Department M, Aarhus University Hospital, Norrebrogade 44, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. E-mail: lolle{at}sol.dk.

Context: GH induces insulin resistance in muscle and fat, and in vitro data indicate that this may involve cross-talk between the signaling pathways of the two hormones.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate GH and insulin signaling in vivo in human muscle and fat tissue in response to GH, GH receptor blockade, and insulin stimulation.

Design: We conducted two randomized crossover studies.

Participants: Sixteen healthy males participated.

Intervention: GH was administered as a bolus (n = 8) and constant infusion (n = 8). The bolus study included three arms: 1) control (saline), 2) GH (0.5 mg iv), and 3) GH blockade (pegvisomant 30 mg sc), each combined with a hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp. The infusion study included two arms: 1) GH infusion (45 ng/·kg·min, 5.5 h) and 2) saline infusion (5.5 h) combined with a hyperinsulinemic glucose clamp during the final 2.5 h.

Main Outcome Measures: Muscle and fat biopsies were subjected to Western blotting for expression of Stat5/p-Stat5, Akt/p-Akt, and ERK1/2/p-ERK1/2 and to real-time RT-PCR for expression of SOCS1–3 and IGF-I mRNA.

Results: GH significantly reduced insulin sensitivity. The GH bolus as well as GH infusion induced phosphorylation of Stat5 in muscle and fat, and SOCS3 and IGF-I mRNA expression increased after GH infusion. Hyperinsulinemia induced Akt phosphorylation in both tissues, irrespective of GH status. In muscle, ERK1/2 phosphorylation was increased by insulin, but insulin per se did not induce phosphorylation of Stat5.

Conclusions: GH exposure associated with insulin resistance acutely translates into GH receptor signaling in human muscle and fat without evidence of cross-talk with insulin signaling pathways. The molecular mechanisms subserving GH-induced insulin resistance in humans remain unclarified.

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