Hepatoprotective effects of recombinant human growth hormone in rats with thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis

Objective To explore the mechanism by which recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) protects liver function and alleviates portal hypertension in rats with liver cirrhosis. Methods Male S.D. rats with thioacetamide-induced liver cirrhosis were randomly assigned to receive separately normal saline (NS, 0.5 ml) or rhGH(333 ng/kg body weight) daily by subcutaneous injection for up to 7 days. After the respective treatments, changes of GH-binding capacity (R T), GHRmRNA, relative content of collagen (RCC), malon-dialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in liver tissue, serum albumin and ALT and portal vein pressure (PVP) were examined. Results R T (fmol/mg protein) of GHR was respectively 31±4, 40±7(P0.05), GHRmRNA (iOD,pixel) was 23±3, 42±8(P0.05), MDA (nmol/mg protein) was 18.7±3.2, 12.0±2.2(P0.05), SOD(U/mg protein) was 824±108, 1 029±76( P0.05),RCC (%) was 22.30±3.86, 14.70±2.07(P0.05) and serum albumin (g/L) was 29±4, 37±7(P0.05), ALT (U/L) was 89±15, 69±7(P0.05), and PVP(cm H 2O) was 14.4±2.0, 9.3±1.5 (P0.05). Conclusions The expression of GHR and its mRNA were up-regulated by pharmacological dose of rhGH. The promotion of albumin synthesis, amelioration of liver functions, repression of fibrosis and remission of portal vein pressure were induced by administration of rhGH as a hepatotropic factor.