Summary
Bacterially synthesized human growth hormone (bhGH) administered to Snell dwarf mice
during 4 weeks, induced an increase in body length and weight to a comparable degree
as obtained with pituitary-derived human growth hormone (hGH). At a dose of 150 mU/day
both bhGH and hGH induced a significant stimulation over saline-treated controls,
of the weight of the submandibular salivary glands, the m. quadriceps femoris and
gastrocnemius, the heart, liver, kidneys, thymus and spleen. The weight of the brain
and the thickness of the skinfold were not influenced by either of the preparations
used.
When organ weights were expressed as a function of body weight, the contribution of
the kidneys to body weight was significantly higher with hGH than with bhGH. The other
organs studied did not show differences.
As a biochemical parameter of cartilage growth, the sulfate incorporation into costal
and epiphyseal cartilage in vitro was measured, and it was found to be stimulated
by both hormones after short-term treatment.
Thus bacterially synthesized hGH behaves identically to pituitary-derived hGH with
respect to body length, sulfate incorporation into costal and epiphyseal cartilage,
body weight and organ growth of Snell dwarf mice, with one exception: increase of
weight of the kidneys, as a function of body weight, was more pronounced after treatment
with hGH than with bhGH.
Key-Words:
Human Growth Hormone
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Growth
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Dwarf Mice
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Biosynthetic Human Growth Hormone
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Recombinant DNA
