Sanders Esmond J, Harvey Steve
Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, T6G 2H7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Anat Embryol (Berl). 2004 Nov;209(1):1-9. doi: 10.1007/s00429-004-0422-1.
In this review we consider the evidence that growth hormone (GH) acts in the embryo as a local growth, differentiation, and cell survival factor. Because both GH and its receptors are present in the early embryo before the functional differentiation of pituitary somatotrophs and before the establishment of a functioning circulatory system, the conditions are such that GH may be a member of the large battery of autocrine/paracrine growth factors that control embryonic development. It has been clearly established that GH is able to exert direct effects, independent of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), on the differentiation, proliferation, and survival of cells in a wide variety of tissues in the embryo, fetus, and adult. The signaling pathways behind these effects of GH are now beginning to be determined, establishing early extrapituitary GH as a bona fide developmental growth factor.
在本综述中，我们探讨了生长激素（GH）在胚胎中作为局部生长、分化和细胞存活因子发挥作用的证据。由于在垂体生长激素细胞功能分化之前以及功能性循环系统建立之前，早期胚胎中就已存在GH及其受体，因此GH可能是控制胚胎发育的大量自分泌/旁分泌生长因子中的一员。现已明确证实，GH能够独立于胰岛素样生长因子-I（IGF-I），对胚胎、胎儿及成体多种组织中的细胞分化、增殖和存活产生直接影响。目前，GH这些作用背后的信号通路正逐步得到确定，这确立了早期垂体外GH作为一种真正的发育生长因子的地位。
