Restoration of microcephalic cerebrum with hypomyelination in the growth hormone-deficient mouse (lit): stimulatory effects of GH restricted to the first 20 days of postnatal life.

We administered bovine growth hormone to the Little (lit), a promising model of isolated growth hormone deficiency, during the first and second 20 days after birth. Positive results were obtained only when bovine growth hormone was given during the first 20 days of postnatal life. We observed a distinct increase in cerebral weight, DNA content, and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase activity. The latter administration of bovine growth hormone was ineffective. These data prove that growth hormone has an independent action on cerebral development, apart from the complementary or synergistic action of thyroid hormones, and that the administration of exogenous growth hormone led to increased myelinogenesis through its stimulatory effects on glial proliferation, as evidenced by the increase in cerebral DNA content.