HGH" redirects here. For other uses, see HGH (disambiguation).

Growth hormone 1
Somatotropine.GIF
Growth hormone
Identifiers
Symbol

GH1

Entrez

2688

HUGO

4261

OMIM 139250
RefSeq

NM_022562

UniProt

P01241

Other data
Locus Chr. 17 q22-q24
Growth hormone 2
Identifiers
Symbol

GH2

Entrez

2689

HUGO

4262

OMIM 139240
RefSeq

NM_002059

UniProt

P01242

Other data
Locus Chr. 17 q22-q24

Growth hormone (GH), also known as somatotropin (or as human growth hormone
[hGH or HGH] in its human form), is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell
reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus
important in human development. It is a type of mitogen which is specific only to
certain kinds of cells. Growth hormone is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide
that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by somatotropic cells within the lateral
wings of the anterior pituitary gland.

GH is a stress hormone that raises the concentration of glucose and free fatty acids.
[1][2] It also stimulates production of IGF-1.

A recombinant form of hGH called somatropin (INN) is used as a prescription drug to

treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. In the United
States, it is only available legally from pharmacies, by prescription from a doctor. In
recent years in the United States, some doctors have started to prescribe growth
hormone in GH-deficient older patients (but not on healthy people) to increase
vitality. While legal, the efficacy and safety of this use for HGH has not been tested
in a clinical trial. At this time, HGH is still considered a very complex hormone, and
many of its functions are still unknown.[3]

In its role as an anabolic agent, HGH has been used by competitors in sports since at
least 1982, and has been banned by the IOC and NCAA. Traditional urine analysis
does not detect doping with HGH, so the ban was unenforceable until the early
2000s, when blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH
were starting to be developed. Blood tests conducted by WADA at the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens, Greece targeted primarily HGH.[3] Use of the drug for
performance enhancement is not currently approved by the FDA.