Growth Hormone: Roles in Male Reproduction

Overview

Journal Endocrine

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2001 Feb 24

PMID 11216634

Citations 14

Authors

K L Hull

S Harvey

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Growth hormone (GH), as its name suggests, is obligatory for growth and development. It is, however, also required for sexual differentiation and pubertal maturation and participates in gonadal steroidogenesis and gametogenesis. These roles are likely to reflect the endocrine actions of pituitary GH, directly at gonadal sites and indirectly via hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1. However, because GH is also produced in gonadal tissues, it may act in paracrine or autocrine ways to regulate local processes that are strategically regulated by pituitary GH. The concept that GH is a major regulator of male reproduction is the focus of this review.

Citing Articles

Pituitary crosstalk with bone, adipose tissue and brain.

Zaidi M, Yuen T, Kim S Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2023; 19(12):708-721.

PMID: 37715028 PMC: 11730177. DOI: 10.1038/s41574-023-00894-5.

Effects of Growth Hormone on Adult Human Gonads: Action on Reproduction and Sexual Function.

Zhou X, Ma J, Shen Y, Xie X, Ren W Int J Endocrinol. 2023; 2023:7492696.

PMID: 37064267 PMC: 10104746. DOI: 10.1155/2023/7492696.

Evaluation of sex hormone profile and semen parameters in acromegalic male patients.

Yilmaz M, Sulu C, Ozkaya H, Kadioglu A, Ortac M, Kadioglu P J Endocrinol Invest. 2021; 44(12):2799-2808.

PMID: 34050506 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-021-01593-6.

The wonders of BMP9: From mesenchymal stem cell differentiation, angiogenesis, neurogenesis, tumorigenesis, and metabolism to regenerative medicine.

Mostafa S, Pakvasa M, Coalson E, Zhu A, Alverdy A, Castillo H Genes Dis. 2020; 6(3):201-223.

PMID: 32042861 PMC: 6997590. DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2019.07.003.

Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Action in Reproductive Tissues.

Ipsa E, Cruzat V, Kagize J, Yovich J, Keane K Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019; 10:777.

PMID: 31781044 PMC: 6861326. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00777.

References

Moretti C, Fabbri A, Gnessi L, Bonifacio V, Bolotti M, Arizzi M . Immunohistochemical localization of growth hormone-releasing hormone in human gonads. J Endocrinol Invest. 1990; 13(4):301-5. DOI: 10.1007/BF03349567. View

Untergasser G, Kranewitter W, Schwarzler P, Madersbacher S, Dirnhofer S, Berger P . Organ-specific expression pattern of the human growth hormone/placental lactogen gene-cluster in the testis. Mol Cell Endocrinol. 1997; 130(1-2):53-60. DOI: 10.1016/s0303-7207(97)00073-7. View

Bartke A, Naar E, Johnson L, May M, Cecim M, Yun J . Effects of expression of human or bovine growth hormone genes on sperm production and male reproductive performance in four lines of transgenic mice. J Reprod Fertil. 1992; 95(1):109-18. DOI: 10.1530/jrf.0.0950109. View

Gomez J, Loir M, Le Gac F . Growth hormone receptors in testis and liver during the spermatogenetic cycle in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Biol Reprod. 1998; 58(2):483-91. DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod58.2.483. View

Bartke A, Chandrashekar V, Turyn D, Steger R, Debeljuk L, Winters T . Effects of growth hormone overexpression and growth hormone resistance on neuroendocrine and reproductive functions in transgenic and knock-out mice. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1999; 222(2):113-23. DOI: 10.1046/j.1525-1373.1999.d01-121.x. View

Laron Z, Klinger B . Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I treatment on serum androgens and testicular and penile size in males with Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone resistance). Eur J Endocrinol. 1998; 138(2):176-80. DOI: 10.1530/eje.0.1380176. View

Blok G, de Boer H, Gooren L, van der Veen E . Growth hormone substitution in adult growth hormone-deficient men augments androgen effects on the skin. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1997; 47(1):29-36. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2265.1997.2021027.x. View

Lobie P, Breipohl W, Aragon J, Waters M . Cellular localization of the growth hormone receptor/binding protein in the male and female reproductive systems. Endocrinology. 1990; 126(4):2214-21. DOI: 10.1210/endo-126-4-2214. View

Gravance C, Breier B, Vickers M, Casey P . Impaired sperm characteristics in postpubertal growth-hormone-deficient dwarf (dw/dw) rats. Anim Reprod Sci. 1998; 49(1):71-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-4320(97)00019-5. View

10.

Lechniak D, Machnik G, Szydlowski M, Switonski M . Growth hormone gene polymorphism and reproductive performance of AI bulls. Theriogenology. 2000; 52(7):1145-52. DOI: 10.1016/S0093-691X(99)00206-X. View

11.

Bex F, Bartke A, Goldman B, Dalterio S . Prolactin, growth hormone, luteinizing hormone receptors, and seasonal changes in testicular activity in the golden hamster. Endocrinology. 1978; 103(6):2069-80. DOI: 10.1210/endo-103-6-2069. View

12.

Giagulli V . Absence of effect of recombinant growth hormone to classic gonadotropin treatment on spermatogenesis of patients with severe hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Arch Androl. 1999; 43(1):47-53. DOI: 10.1080/014850199262724. View

13.

Radicioni A, Paris E, Dondero F, Bonifacio V, Isidori A . Recombinant-growth hormone (rec-hGH) therapy in infertile men with idiopathic oligozoospermia. Acta Eur Fertil. 1994; 25(5):311-7. View

14.

Ra S, Aoki H, Fujioka T, Sato F, Kubo T, Yasuda N . In vitro contraction of the canine corpus cavernosum penis by direct perfusion with prolactin or growth hormone. J Urol. 1996; 156(2 Pt 1):522-5. DOI: 10.1097/00005392-199608000-00075. View

15.

Ovesen P, Jorgensen J, Ingerslev J, Orskov H, Christiansen J . [Growth hormone treatment of men with reduced sperm quality]. Ugeskr Laeger. 1998; 160(2):176-80. View

16.

Harvey S, Johnson C, Sharma P, Sanders E, Hull K . Growth hormone: a paracrine growth factor in embryonic development?. Comp Biochem Physiol C Pharmacol Toxicol Endocrinol. 1998; 119(3):305-15. DOI: 10.1016/s0742-8413(98)00019-x. View

17.

Shoham Z, Zalel Y, Jacobs H . The role of growth hormone in male infertility. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1994; 41(1):1-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1994.tb03775.x. View

18.

Olchovsky D, Bruno J, Berelowitz M . Growth hormone-releasing factor expression is discordantly regulated in the hypothalamus and testis of streptozotocin-diabetic rats. J Endocrinol. 1996; 148(2):189-92. DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1480189. View

19.

JADRESIC A, Banks L, Child D, Diamant L, DOYLE F, Fraser T . The acromegaly syndrome. Relation between clinical features, growth hormone values and radiological characteristics of the pituitary tumours. Q J Med. 1982; 51(202):189-204. View

20.

ZACHMANN M, PRADER A . Anabolic and androgenic effect of testosterone in sexually immature boys and its dependency on growth hormone. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1970; 30(1):85-95. DOI: 10.1210/jcem-30-1-85. View