Abstract
HCA reportedly acts like GH in increasing the thickness of tibial epiphyseal cartilage and increasing serum somatomedin activity in hypophysectomized rats (Science 192, 372, 1976). We hypophysectomized Sprague-Dawley rats at 26 days of age and beginning 12 days later they received HCA, GH or 0.9% NaCl I.P. daily for 4 days. Average rat weight was 62.6 gms. HCA did not increase cartilage thickness, while GH was effective (p<.001)
Liver DNA polymerase activity was also measured (Endocrinol. 92, 194, 1973) on 8-14 animals in each of several groups. Human GH increased polymerase activity 30%, (p<.01), but 10,000 ug HCA was ineffective. On this regimen, neither HCA nor GH significantly increased serum somatomedin levels in selected animals (Endocrinol. 99, 304, 1976); this result is not surprising since the method is less sensitive than the tibial thickness bioassay. HCA was not an active GH substitute in our laboratory. Our results contrast sharply with those reported previously by others on a smaller series of animals, and suggest that HCA will not, prove valuable in treating human GH deficiency states.
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Chrzanowska, B., Nitzan, M., Phillips, L. et al. 289 COMPARISON OF HOMOCYSTEIC ACID (HCA) AND GROWTH HORMONE (GH) IN THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED RAT. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 412 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00294
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00294
