Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Growth Hormone

Growth hormone, also called somatotropin, is a single-chain peptide hormone synthesized and secreted by somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Its release is pulsatile and controlled by the opposing hypothalamic signals growth-hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin, with additional input from ghrelin…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 11 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 17× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 3070-2313 🗓 Reviewed October 2026

Overview

Growth hormone, also called somatotropin, is a single-chain peptide hormone synthesized and secreted by somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary gland. Its release is pulsatile and controlled by the opposing hypothalamic signals growth-hormone-releasing hormone and somatostatin, with additional input from ghrelin, sleep, exercise, nutritional state, and feedback from insulin-like growth factor 1. Many of its anabolic effects are mediated indirectly through insulin-like growth factor 1, produced mainly in the liver, while growth hormone also acts directly on target tissues. It promotes longitudinal bone growth at the epiphyseal plates, increases lean body and muscle mass, stimulates protein synthesis, and exerts metabolic actions that favor lipolysis and oppose insulin in glucose handling. Secretion is regulated within the broader hypothalamic-pituitary axis, and disorders arise from both deficiency, which impairs growth and body composition, and excess, which produces gigantism or acromegaly; dysregulation can also occur within multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes. Clinically, recombinant growth hormone is used to treat defined deficiency states. Its physiology connects to pituitary structure and function, models of longevity and dwarfism in which growth-hormone signaling is altered, and the wider study of endocrine regulation of metabolism, glucose, and lipid balance.

Research published in this journal

11 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 11 articles above have been cited 17 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Growth Hormone, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Endocrinology And Hormones (ISSN 3070-2313).

Journal editorial board
Kamran Mahmood Ahmed Aziz · Saudi Arabia Alexander G. Obukhov · United States Guangzhen Hu · Mongolia

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.