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Growth hormone treatment induces mammary gland hyperplasia in aging primates

Nature Medicine volume 3, pages 1141–1144 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

The decline of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (ICF-I) production during aging has been likened to the decrease in gonadal steroids in menopause. The repletion of GH/IGF-I levels in aging individuals is suggested to restore the lean tissue anabolism characteristic of youth1. In addition to anabolic effects on musculoskeletal tissues, GH also stimulates mammary glandular growth in some species2–4, although its effects on primate mammary growth remain unclear5. Some clinical observations implicate GH in human mammary growth, for example, gynecomastia occurs in some children treated with GH (ref. 6), and tall stature and acromegaly are associated with an increased incidence of breast cancer7,8. To investigate the effects of GH/IGF-I augmentation on mammary tissue in a model relevant to aging humans, we treated aged female rhesus monkeys with GH, IGF-I, GH + IGF-I or saline diluent for 7 weeks. IGF-I treatment was associated with a twofold increase, GH with a three- to fourfold increase, and GH + IGF-I with a four- to fivefold increase in mammary glandular size and epithelial proliferation index. These mitogenic effects were directly correlated with circulating GH and IGF-I levels, suggesting that either GH or its downstream effector IGF-I stimulates primate mammary epithelial proliferation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Building 10, Room 10N262

    Siu T. Ng, Jian Zhou, Oluyemisi O. Adesanya, Jie Wang & Carolyn A. Bondy

  2. Diabetes Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 10, Room 8S235a, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1770, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892–1770, USA

    Derek Leroith

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  1. Siu T. Ng
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  2. Jian Zhou
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  4. Jie Wang
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  5. Derek Leroith
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  6. Carolyn A. Bondy
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Ng, S., Zhou, J., Adesanya, O. et al. Growth hormone treatment induces mammary gland hyperplasia in aging primates. Nat Med 3, 1141–1144 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm1097-1141

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