Abstract
Current understanding of the role of growth hormone (GH) in aging is challenged by results obtained in laboratory mice. In this species, GH deficiency (GHD) and GH resistance are associated with prolonged survival, and overexpression of GH appears to accelerate aging. Results obtained in animals subjected to caloric restriction are compatible with the conclusion that reducing the activity of somatotropic axis can delay aging and prolong life. Studies of genetic control of aging in yeasts, worms, and insects suggest that insulin/insulin-like growth-factor signaling may represent an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that controls aging. Reciprocal relationship between adult body size and longevity within a species adds support to this concept. The suspected role of the somatotropic axis in mediating the effects of longevity genes on aging and life span may have no direct relevance to the use of GH therapy to alter body composition in the elderly, but it raises significant doubts whether GH can be considered as an anti-aging hormone.
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