Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Growth hormone: Historical notes

  • Published:
Pituitary Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A brief review of important contributions to our present knowledge of growth hormone is given. In 1887 it had been noted that a pituitary tumor was present in most patients with acromegaly. Even at the beginning of the 20. Century relationship between growth disorders and the pituitary was contested. From 1908 pituitary surgery became established treatment in GH hypersecretion. In 1922 it was demonstrated that injection of pituitary extract to animals caused excessive growth and soon after the opposite: removal of the pituitary caused growth retardation. A huge number of studies on the effects of GH were subsequently reported as were trials with GH treatment. They were impeded by failure to recognize the impact of species specificity of GH. After this issue was clarified in 1957, treatment with human growth hormone proved effective. In 1985 it was realized that Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease might be transmitted through human growth hormone. At this time recombinant GH had become available. In 1971 the structure of human GH was established. In the same period both GH releasing and inhibiting hormones were identified and an analogue of somatostatin had evolved into the first effective pharmacological treatment for acromegaly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Minkowski O (1887) Ueber einen Fall von Akromegalie. Berlin klin Wochenschr 24:371–374

    Google Scholar 

  2. Saucerotte N (1931) Accroissement singulier en grosseur des os d’un homme agé 39 ans. Observation communiquee a l’Academie de Chirurgie en 1772. Melanges de chirurgie. 1801;1:1407–1411. Cit. by Weinberg SJ (1931). Gigantism and acromegaly. Ann med Hist 3:650-676

    Google Scholar 

  3. Fawcett E. Patrick Cotter (1909) — the Irish giant. J Roy Anthropol Inst 39:196–209

    Google Scholar 

  4. Keith A (1911) An inquiry into the nature of the skeletal changes in acromegaly. Lancet 1:993–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Fritsche CF, Klebs E (1884) Ein Beitrag zur Pathologie des Riesenwuchses. Vogel, Leipzig

  6. Marie P (1886) Sur deux cas d’acromegalie. Rev Med 6:297–333

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lewis DD (1905) Hyperplasia of the chromophile cells of the hypophysis as the cause of acromegaly, with report of a case. Bull Johns Hopkins Hosp 16:157–164

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stumme E Akromegalie und Hypophyse(1908) Arch klin Chir 87:437–466

    Google Scholar 

  9. Caton R, Paul FT (1893) Notes of a case of acromegaly treated by operation. Br Med J 2:1421–1423.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Schloffer, H (1907) Erfolgreiche Operation eines Hypophysentumors auf nasalem Wege. Wien klin Wochenschr 20:621–624

    Google Scholar 

  11. Cushing H (1909) Partial hypophysectomy for acromegaly. Ann Surg 50:1002–1017

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Krause F (1927) Bemerkungen zur Operation der Hypophysengeschwülste. Dtsch med Wochenschr 53:691–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Evans HM, Long JA (1922) Characteristic effects upon growth, oestrus, and ovulation induced by the intraperitoneal administration of fresh anterior hypophyseal substance. Proc Natl Acad Sci 8:38–39

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Smith PE (1927) The disabilities caused by hypophysectomy and their repair. J Am Med Ass 88:158–161

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Borchardt L (1908) Die Hypophysenglykosurie und ihre Beziehungen zum Diabetes bei der Akromegalie. Z klin Med 66:332–348

    Google Scholar 

  16. Houssay BA, Biasotti A (1931) The hypophysis, carbohydrate metabolism and diabetes. Endocrinology 15:511–523

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Petersen P, Lindholm J (1985) Pituitary apoplexy, the Houssay phenomenon and accelerated proliferative retinopathy. Am J Med 79:385–388

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Astwood EB (1955) In: (Pincus G, Thiemann KV ed.) The Hormones, Academic Press, New York, vol. III pp. 235–308

  19. Ketterer B, Randle PJ, Young FG (1957) The pituitary growth hormone and metabolic processes. Ergeb Physiol 49:127–211

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Li CH, Evans HM (1944) The isolation of pituitary growth hormone. Science 99:183–184

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Li CH, Papkoff A (1956) Preparation and properties of growth hormone from human and monkey pituitary glands. Science 124:1293–1294

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Li CH, Dixon JS, Liu WK (1969) Human pituitary growth hormone. XIX. The primary structure of the hormone. Arch Biochem Biophys 133:70–91

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Li CH, Dixon JS (1971) Human pituitary growth hormone XXXII. The primary structure of the hormone: Revision. Arch Biochem Biophys 146:233–236

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Niall HD, Hogan ML, Tregear GW, Segre GV, Hwang P, Friesen H (1973) The chemistry of growth hormone and the lactogenic hormone. Recent Progr Horm Res 29:387–416

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Li CH, Yamashiro D (1970) The synthesis of a protein possessing growth-promoting and lactogenic action. J Am Chem Soc 92:7608–7609

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Salmon WD, Daughaday WH (1957) A hormonally controlled serum factor which stimulates sulfate incorporation by cartilage in vitro. J Lab Clin Med 49:825–836

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Rinderknecht E, Humbel R (1978) The amino acid sequence of human insulin-like growth factor I and its structural homology with proinsulin. J Biol Chem 253:2769–2776

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Schoenle E, Zapf J, Humbel RE, Froesch ER (1982) Insulin-like growth factor I stimulates growth in hypophysectomized rats. Nature 296:252–253

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Evans HM, Simpson ME, Marx W, Kibrick EA (1943) Bioassay of pituitary growth hormone. Width of proximal ephiphysial cartilage of tibia in hypophysectomized rats. Endocrinology 32:13–16

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Glick SM, Roth J, Yalow RS, Berson SA (1963) Immunoassay of human growth hormone. Nature 199:784–787

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Furlanetto RW, Underwood L, Van Wyk JJ, d’Ercole AJ (1977) Estimation of somatomedin-C levels in normals and patients with pituitary disease by radioimmunoassay. J Clin Invest 60:648–657

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Engelbach W (1932) The growth hormone. Endocrinology 16:1–19

    Google Scholar 

  33. Bennett LL, Weinberger H, Escamilla R, Margen S, Li CH, Evans HM (1950) Failure of hypophysial growth hormone to produce nitrogen storage in a girl with hypophysial dwarfism. J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 10:492–495

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Escamilla RF, Bennett L (1951) Pituitary infantilism treated with purified growth hormone, thyroid and sublingual methyltestosterone. A case report. J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 11:221–228

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Sayers G, Brown RW (1959) Glandular physiology and therapy. 5th edn, 1954, Lippincott, Philadelphia. Cit by Raben MS. Human growth hormone. Recent Progr Hor Res 15:71–114

    Google Scholar 

  36. Knobil E, Wolf RC, Greep RO, Wilhelmi AE (1957) Effect of primate pituitary growth hormone preparation on nitrogen metabolism in the hypophysectomized rhesus monkey. Endocrinology 60:166–168

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Raben MS (1958) Treatment of pituitary dwarf with human growth hormone. J Clin Endocrinol Metabol 18:901–903

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Beck JC, McGarry EE, Dyrenfurth I, Morgan RO, Bird ED, Venning EH (1960) Primate growth hormone studies in man. Metabolism 9:699–735

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Cronin MJ (1997) Pioneering recombinant growth hormone manufacturing: pounds produced per mile of height. J Pediat 131:55–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Koch TK, Berg BO, de Armand SJ, Gravina RF (1985) Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in a young adult with idiopathic hypopituitarism: Possible relationship to administration of cadaveric human growth hormone. N Engl J Med 313:731–733

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Mills JL, Schonberger LB, Wysowski DK, Brown P, Durako SJ, Cox C, Kong F, Fradkin JE (2004) Long-term mortality in the United States cohort of pituitary-derived growth hormone recipients. J Pediat 144:430–436

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Laron Z (2004) Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone resistance or insensitivity): The personal experience 1958–2003. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 89:1031–1044

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Woods KA, Camacho-Hübner C, Savage MO, Clark AJL (1996) Intrauterine growth retardation and postnatal growth failure associated with deletion of the insulin-like growth factor 1 gene. N Engl J Med 335:1363–1367

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Reichlin S (1961) Growth hormone content of pituitaries from rats with hypothalamic lesions. Endocrinology 69:225–230

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Krulich L, McCann SM (1969) Effect of GH-releasing and GH-inhibiting factor on the release and concentration of GH in pituitaries incubated in vitro. Endocrinology 85:319–324

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Brazeau P, Vale W, Borgus R, Ling N, Butcher M, Rivier J, Guillemin R (1973) Hypothalamic polypeptide that inhibits the secretion of immunoreactive pituitary growth hormone. Science 179:77–79

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Hall R, Schally AV, Evered D, Kastin AJ, Mortimer CH, Tunbridge WMG, Besser GM, Coy DH, Goldie DJ, McNeilly AS, Phenekos C, Weightman D (1973) Action of growth-hormone-release inhibitory hormone in healthy men and in acromegaly. Lancet 2:581–584

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Plewe G, Krause U, Beyer J, Neufeld M, del Pozo E (1984) Long-acting and selective suppression of growth hormone secretion by somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 in acromegaly. Lancet 2:782–784.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Dabek JT (1974) Bronchial carcinoid tumor with acromegaly in two patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 38:329–333

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Scheithauer BW, Carpenter PC, Bloch B, Brazeau P (1984) Ectopic secretion of a growth hormone-releasing factor. Am J Med 76:605–616

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Deuben RR, Meites J (1964) Stimulation of pituitary growth hormone release by a hypothalamic extract in vitro. Endocrinology 74:408–414

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Schally AV, Steelman SL, Bowers CY (1965) Effect of hypothalamic extracts on release of growth hormone. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 119:208–212

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Frohman LA, Szabo M, Berelowitz M, Stachura ME (1980) Partial purification and characterization of a peptide with growth hormone-releasing activity from extrapituitary tumors in patients with acromegaly. J Clin Invest 65:43–54

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Thorner MO, Perryman RL, Cronin MJ, Rogol AD, Draznin M, Johanson A, Vale W, Horvath E, Kovacs K (1982) Somatroph hyperplasia. J Clin Invest 70:965–977

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Sassolas G, Chayvialle JA; Partensky C, Berger G, Trouillas J, Berger F, Claustrat B, Cohen R, Girod V, Guillemin R (1983) Acromegaly, clinical expression of the production of growth hormone releasing factor in pancreatic tumors. Ann Endocrinol 44:347–354

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Rivier J, Spiess J, Thorner M, Vale W (1982) Characterization of a growth hormone-releasing factor from a human pancreatic islet tumour. Nature 300:276–278

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Guillemin R, Brazeau P, Böhlen P, Esch F, Ling N, Wehrenberg WB (1982) Growth hormone-releasing factor from a human pancreatic tumor that caused acromegaly. Science 218:585–587

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark

    J. Lindholm

Authors
  1. J. Lindholm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Lindholm.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lindholm, J. Growth hormone: Historical notes. Pituitary 9, 5–10 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-006-7557-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11102-006-7557-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation