Growth Hormone Stimulates Insulin Gene Expression in Cultured Human Fetal Pancreatic Islets*
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Discussion
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Implication
In vitro study demonstrates growth hormone enhances insulin gene expression and secretion in human fetal islets, indicating an endocrine regulatory role during development.
Key Points
- Determine whether growth hormone functions as a fetal growth promoter by directly stimulating insulin gene expression and insulin secretory capacity during embryogenesis.
- Isolated pancreatic islets from 36 human fetuses between 18 and 22 weeks of gestational age.
- Cultured islets with 1.25 µg/mL recombinant human growth hormone for 48 hours.
- Measured insulin mRNA via blot hybridization using a [32P] cDNA probe and determined insulin secretory capacity by the fractional stimulation ratio over consecutive static incubations.
- Treatment with 1.25 µg/mL recombinant human growth hormone stimulated insulin gene expression to 216% of the control value after 48 hours of culture (n = 2).
- Growth hormone exposure increased the fractional stimulation ratio of insulin secretion to 273% of control values after 48 hours (n = 5).
Cite This Study
Formby et al. (1988) studied this question.