Distinct neuronal growth hormone receptor ligand specificity in the rat brain

Abstract

A cerebral growth hormone axis is activated during recovery from brain injury and centrally administered growth hormone can rescue injured neurons. It remains unclear, however, whether this treatment effect occurs directly via neuronal growth hormone receptors. Immunohistochemistry confirmed growth hormone receptor protein on neuronal cell bodies in the rat cortex. Surprisingly, we found that central treatment with bovine growth hormone, which is equipotent to rat growth hormone in the rat periphery, failed to rescue cortical neurons following hypoxic ischemic injury. We further investigated the actions of rat and bovine growth hormone on primary neuron-enriched cultures of fetal rat cortex...