Growth Hormone Receptors in the Brain and their Potential asTherapeutic Targets in Central Nervous System Disorders

摘要

Effects that growth hormone (GH) may exert on brain function have received attention among manyresearchers over the past two decades. In patients with impaired pituitary production of this hormone replacementtherapies have been demonstrated not only to compensate for GH effects in peripheral organs but also to improve severalbehaviors related to the brain. For instance, available data suggests that subjects treated with GH have experiencedsignificant improvements in concentration, memory, depression, anxiety and fatigue. Also, pituitary-ectomized male ratsshowing decreased ability in tasks related to learning and memory are seen to improve their performance in these itemsfollowing GH replacement. The mechanism underlying these beneficial effects of GH has been the subject of studies inmany laboratories. An important aspect in this regard is the discovery of specific receptors in various brain regions relatedto the functional anatomy of several behaviors affected by the hormone. The aim with this article is to review currentknowledge on GH receptors in the brain and discuss possible mechanism for the action of the hormone in its ability toaffects brain function.