X-Message-Number: 10944
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 21:45:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: interesting sci.life-extension posting

From:  (Aubrey de Grey)
Newsgroups: sci.life-extension,misc.health.alternative,sci.med.pharmacy

Brian Zischkau wrote:

> Here's an article a friend sent me. Not sure what page he found it at.
> MORE INFORMATION ABOUT GROWTH HORMONE
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> The Cause Of Aging
...

Well, at least moderate GH supplementation may be harmless: see below.
The full article includes very careful discussion of the possible reasons
why previous studies have found increased or decreased lifespan, and why
this study may be more reliable.


J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 1998 Nov;53(6):B452-63

Aged-rodent models of long-term growth hormone therapy: lack of deleterious
effect on longevity.

Kalu DN, Orhii PB, Chen C, Lee DY, Hubbard GB, Lee S, Olatunji-Bello Y

Studies were carried out to examine the effects of long-term recombinant
human growth hormone (GH) therapy on longevity in rodents. In the first
study, 150 18-month-old female F344 rats were divided into three groups of
50 rats per group: Group 1, solvent vehicle; Group 2, 10 microg GH/kg body
weight three times per week; Group 3, 50 microg GH/kg body weight three
times per week. GH and solvent vehicle therapies were started at 18 months
of age and continued until all the animals died spontaneously. Serum
insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I was measured at 18 and 29 months of age
and on 3-month-old rats. Serum IGF-I level decreased between 3 and 29 months
of age. GH therapy reversed the decrease in a dose-dependent manner, with
the 50 microg GH dose returning the serum IGF-I level to that of 3-month-old
animals. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant effect of GH
therapy on median life span, 10th percentile life span, or maximum life
span. Similar observations on longevity were made on aged F344 male rats and
on aged Balb/c mice, even when the dose of GH was increased to 1.0 mg/kg
body weight two times per week. The main pathologic lesions in control
animals were nephropathy, cardiomyopathy, leukemia, and testicular
interstitial cell tumor; the prevalence of these lesions was not
significantly altered by GH therapy. We conclude that long-term low-dose GH
therapy that includes doses in the range that is given to humans in clinical
trials in GH deficiency and to revert age-related physiologic declines has
no overt deleterious effects on longevity and pathology in aged rodents.


Aubrey de Grey
-- end of forwarded message --

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