Growth sensitivity in the epiphyseal growth plate, liver and muscle of SD rats is significantly enhanced by treatment with a fermented soybean product (cheonggukjang) through stimulation of growth hormone secretion.

Cheonggukjang (CKJ), a fermented soybean product, has been reported to have beneficial effects on various chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and immune diseases. To investigate whether CKJ induces growth sensitivity in mammals, alterations of key parameters related to their growth were analyzed. Sprague‑Dawley (SD) rats were treated with a high concentration of CKJ (H‑CKJ) or a low concentration of CKJ (L‑CKJ) for 10 days, and compared with vehicle-treated rats. The CKJ contained a high concentration of total flavonoids, phenolic compounds, daidzein and genistein, compared with the non-fermented soybean product. Body weight was higher in the H‑CKJ‑treated group compared with that in the vehicle‑ and L‑CKJ‑treated groups, whereas the weights of three organs (the brain, liver and kidney) were higher in the L‑CKJ‑treated group compared with the remaining two groups. However, no significant differences in femur length and weight were detected between the CKJ‑ and vehicle‑treated groups. The thickness of the epiphyseal growth plate in proximal femoral epiphysis was broadest in the H‑CKJ‑treated group compared with the vehicle- and L‑CKJ‑treated groups. Furthermore, the level of growth hormone (GH) was highest in the serum of the L‑CKJ‑treated group, although that of the H‑CKJ‑treated group was lower compared with that in the L‑CKJ group. Moreover, the expression levels of the GH receptor increased in the liver tissue, but not in the muscle tissue, of the L‑CKJ‑ and H‑CKJ‑treated groups. In the downstream signaling pathway of the GH receptor, the phosphorylation levels of Akt and Erk were differentially regulated between the liver and muscle. These results suggest that CKJ extract may enhance the sensitivity of the femur, liver and muscle epiphyseal growth plate in SD rats, through the upregulation of GH secretion.