Growth hormone

Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a <a href="/facts/Peptide_hormone/8AdC52vt">peptide hormone</a> that stimulates growth, <a href="/facts/Cell_(biology)/bLM9UQvy">cell</a> reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in <a href="/facts/Human_development_(biology)/S97k10C2">human development</a>. GH also stimulates production of <a href="/facts/Insulin-like_growth_factor_1/2n0nPvtD">insulin-like growth factor 1</a> (IGF-1) and increases the concentration of <a href="/facts/Glucose/oUSkoLCD">glucose</a> and <a href="/facts/Free_fatty_acid/JGg3erIu">free fatty acids</a>. It is a type of <a href="/facts/Mitogen/AyjRuS2a">mitogen</a> which is specific only to the <a href="/facts/Receptor_(biochemistry)/tjTAC76a">receptors</a> on certain types of cells. GH is a 191-<a href="/facts/Amino_acid/WDxYwBny">amino acid</a>, single-chain <a href="/facts/Polypeptide/C4ltc7UG">polypeptide</a> that is synthesized, stored and secreted by <a href="/facts/Somatotropic_cell/05Vx6XyG">somatotropic cells</a> within the lateral wings of the <a href="/facts/Anterior_pituitary/uUj4jzRq">anterior pituitary</a> gland.
A <a href="/facts/Recombinant_DNA/dT3PL7M6">recombinant</a> form of HGH called somatropin (<a href="/facts/International_Nonproprietary_Name/wYL655x6">INN</a>) is used as a <a href="/facts/Prescription_drug/a2zNYPMq">prescription drug</a> to treat children's growth disorders and adult <a href="/facts/Growth_hormone_deficiency/H2R9x3UU">growth hormone deficiency</a>. In the United States, it is only available legally from pharmacies by prescription from a licensed health care provider. In recent years in the United States, some health care providers are prescribing growth hormone in the elderly to increase <a href="/facts/Vitality/MPQJDwPD">vitality</a>. While legal, the efficacy and safety of this use for HGH has not been tested in a clinical trial. Many of the functions of HGH remain unknown.
In its role as an <a href="/facts/Anabolic/eH3Q5AHF">anabolic</a> agent, HGH has been used by competitors in sports since at least 1982 and has been banned by the <a href="/facts/IOC/yX4MhHXk">IOC</a> and <a href="/facts/NCAA/nLkY4pm1">NCAA</a>. Traditional <a href="/facts/Urine/oNUYVtvX">urine</a> analysis does not detect <a href="/facts/Use_of_performance-enhancing_drugs_in_sport/h776s7YA">doping</a> with HGH, so the ban was not enforced until the early 2000s, when <a href="/facts/Blood_test/zevsf3rC">blood tests</a> that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were starting to be developed. Blood tests conducted by <a href="/facts/World_Anti-Doping_Agency/z1KV3bhB">WADA</a> at the <a href="/facts/2004_Olympic_Games/7ljacRK4">2004 Olympic Games</a> in <a href="/facts/Athens,_Greece/mBxlp8X1">Athens, Greece</a>, targeted primarily HGH. Use of the drug for performance enhancement is not currently approved by the <a href="/facts/FDA/fMfdaRAa">FDA</a>.
GH has been studied for use in raising livestock more efficiently in <a href="/facts/Industrial_agriculture/7afGrA74">industrial agriculture</a> and several efforts have been made to obtain governmental approval to use GH in livestock production. These uses have been controversial. In the United States, the only FDA-approved use of GH for livestock is the use of a cow-specific form of GH called <a href="/facts/Bovine_somatotropin/Sv0da0mk">bovine somatotropin</a> for increasing milk production in dairy cows. Retailers are permitted to label containers of milk as produced with or without bovine somatotropin.

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Growth hormone