|
|
 |
BRIEF COMMUNICATION |
|
Year : 2011 | Volume
: 15
| Issue : 7 | Page : 248-249 |
|
Growth hormone in male infertility
Navneet Magon1, Suneeta Singh2, Ajit Saxena3, Rakesh Sahay4
1 Department of Obstetrics and, Gynecology, Air Force Hospital, Kanpur, India 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Military Hospital, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, India 3 Department of Urology and Andrology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi, India 4 Department of Endocrinology, Osmania Medical College and Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Date of Web Publication | 13-Sep-2011 |
Correspondence Address: Navneet Magon Obstetrician, Gynecologist and Endoscopic Surgeon, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Air Force Hospital, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2230-8210.84877
Abstract | | |
Growth hormone (GH) is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the testes, and has autocrine and paracrine functions as well. This, along with other factors, exerts autocrine and paracrine control over spermatogenesis. GH, used as an adjuvant therapy, induces spermatogenesis in non-responder patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, who are not responding to gonadotropin or pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) therapy. GH has an important physiological role to play in spermatogenesis and male fertility. Keywords: Growth hormone, infertility, male, pituitary, spermatogenesis
How to cite this article: Magon N, Singh S, Saxena A, Sahay R. Growth hormone in male infertility. Indian J Endocr Metab 2011;15, Suppl S3:248-9 |
How to cite this URL: Magon N, Singh S, Saxena A, Sahay R. Growth hormone in male infertility. Indian J Endocr Metab [serial online] 2011 [cited 2021 Jan 26];15, Suppl S3:248-9. Available from: https://www.ijem.in/text.asp?2011/15/7/248/84877 |
Growth hormone (GH) expression is not limited to the pituitary, neither is its function limited to simple endocrine effects on growth. GH is expressed in a variety of tissues, including the testes, and has autocrine and paracrine functions as well.
The process of spermatogenesis is essential for human reproduction. A simple sounding process is mediated by a variety of factors, including multiple hormonal influences. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), LH, Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone all play an important role in the development and maturation of sperms. At the same time, various locally secreted peptides and proteins such as GH, IGF-1, cytokines, activin, inhibin, follistatin, and estrogen, exert autocrine and paracrine control over spermatogenesis. [1]
The growth hormone acts directly and indirectly via hepatic IGF-1, at the testicular level, to promote sperm production. The locally produced GH may act in a paracrine or autocrine fashion to regulate local processes that are strategically regulated by pituitary GH. GH promotes early development of spermatogonia, and ensures complete maturation as well.
Growth hormone-deficient men have small-sized testes. GH has been found to be deficient in phenotypically normal, azoospermic men, with maturation arrest, a finding confirmed by clonidine stimulation tests. [2] Conversely, the sperm count is low or nil in men with GH deficiency. GH resistance in men is also associated with reduced fertility. [3]
Growth hormone restores sperm concentration, morphology, and motility in GH-deficient rats [4] as well as men. GH, used as adjuvant therapy, induces spermatogenesis in non-responder patients with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, who are not responding to gonadotropin or pulsatile LH therapy. A study on nine oligozoospermic and nine asthenozoospermic men treated with GH for 12 weeks reported increased sperm motility in both groups, and three pregnancies were reported in asthenozoospermia, but not in oligozoospermia. [5]
An Indian prospective, open-label, non-randomized observational study of 14 men, aged between 26 and 35 years, with normogonadotropic idiopathic oligoasthenospermia has described the beneficial effects of growth hormone 1.5 IU / day, administered for six months. Semen volume, count, and motility were improved in all patients. The increase was most marked during the first three months of therapy. Not much improvement was noticed during the latter half of the treatment. None of the patients experienced any side effects. Three subjects fathered children over the next one year, two with the help of intrauterine insemination. [6]
At the same time, other authors have also reported lack of beneficial effect with this therapy. [7] Therefore, GH cannot be promoted as a panacea for all subfertile men.
The GH and recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (rhIGF-I) can be utilized in improving the outcome of IVF as well. These drugs have been reported to maintain sperm motility longer after a 24-hour treatment at room temperature in mature equine spermatozoa, without any deletiroius effects. This property can be utilized to store spermatozoa longer at room temperature in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centres. [8]
In conclusion, GH has an important physiological role to play in spermatogenesis and male fertility. More studies are required to define the exact place of GH therapy in clinical practice. Although it certainly merits a trial in GH-deficient patients, it may be used in non-responding normogonadotropic idiopathic oligoasthenospermia. A close watch must be kept for metabolic side effects. Its true potential will be realized only if endocrinologists: both medical and reproductive, team together to analyze the patient populations and where it can be used.
References | |  |
1. | Madhukar D, Rajender S. Hormonal treatment of male infertility: Promises and pitfalls. J Androl 2009;30:95-112.  [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
2. | Shimonovitz S, Zacut D, Ben Chetrit A, Ron M. Growth hormone status in patients with maturation arrest of spermatogenesis. Hum Reprod 1993;8:919-21.  [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
3. | Laron Z, Klinger B. Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I treatment on serum androgens and testicular and penile size in males with Laron syndrome (primary growth hormone resistance). Eur J Endocrinol 1998;138:176-80.  [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
4. | Gravance CG, Breier BH, Vickers MH, Casey PJ. Impaired sperm characteristics in postpubertal growth-hormone-deficient dwarf (dw / dw) rats. Anim Reprod Sci 1997;49:71-6.  [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
5. | Breier BH, Vickers MH, Gravance CG, Casey PJ. Therapy with growth hormone: Major prospects for the treatment of male subfertility? Endocr J 1998;45 Suppl:S53-60.  |
6. | Kalra S, Kalra B, Sharma A. Growth hormone improves semen volume, sperm count and motility in men with idiopathic normogonadotropic infertility. Endocr Abstr 2008;16:P613.  |
7. | Lee KO, Ng SC, Lee PS, Bongso AT, Taylor EA, Lin TK, et al. Effect of growth hormone therapy in men with severe idiopathic oligozoospermia. Eur J Endocrinol 1995;132:159-62.  [PUBMED] [FULLTEXT] |
8. | Champion ZJ, Vickers MH, Gravance CG, Breier BH, Casey PJ. Growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor-I extends longevity of equine spermatozoa in vitro. Theriogenology 2002;57:1793-800.  [PUBMED] |
This article has been cited by | 1 |
The dynamics of gene expression during and post meiosis sets the sperm agenda |
|
| Aastha Pandey,Santosh Kumar Yadav,Rahul Vishvkarma,Bineta Singh,Jagdamba P. Maikhuri,Singh Rajender,Gopal Gupta | | Molecular Reproduction and Development. 2019; | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 2 |
Loss of Growth Hormone Gene (gh1) in Zebrafish Arrests Folliculogenesis in Females and Delays Spermatogenesis in Males |
|
| Zhe Hu,Nana Ai,Weiting Chen,Queenie Wing-Lei Wong,Wei Ge | | Endocrinology. 2019; 160(3): 568 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 3 |
The treatment effect of novel hGHRH homodimer to male infertility hamster |
|
| Xu-Dong Zhang,Xiao-Yuan Guo,Jing-Xuan Tang,Lin-Na Yue,Juan-Hui Zhang,Tao Liu,Yu-Xia Dong,Song-Shan Tang | | The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology. 2018; 22(6): 637 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 4 |
Association between male Infertility and seminal plasma levels of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 |
|
| Mara Simopoulou,Anastassios Philippou,Evangelos Maziotis,Konstantinos Sfakianoudis,Nikolaos Nitsos,Panagiotis Bakas,Roxane Tenta,Evangelos Zevolis,Konstantinos Pantos,Michael Koutsilieris | | Andrologia. 2018; : e13048 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 5 |
Gonadotropin replacement in male thalassemia major patients with arrested puberty and acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (AAH): preliminary results and potential factors affecting induction of spermatogenesis |
|
| Vincenzo De Sanctis,Ashraf T. Soliman,Duran Canatan,Salvatore Di Maio,Heba Elsedfy,Alaa Baioumi,Christos Kattamis | | Endocrine. 2018; | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 6 |
Perspectives in Pediatric Pathology, Chapter 18. Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadisms. Pediatric and Pubertal Presentations |
|
| Manuel Nistal,Ricardo Paniagua,Pilar González-Peramato,Miguel Reyes-Múgica | | Pediatric and Developmental Pathology. 2016; 19(4): 291 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 7 |
Luteinizing hormone, testosterone and total estrogens response to exogenous GnRH in crossbred bulls with differing semen quality |
|
| B.S. Bharath Kumar,Sujata Pandita,B.S. Prakash,Smrutirekha Mallick,T.K. Mohanty,D.K. Mandal,Bhabesh Mili | | Livestock Science. 2015; | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 8 |
Congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency patients have better responses to gonadotrophin-induced spermatogenesis than idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism patients |
|
| Jiangfeng Mao,Hongli Xu,Xi Wang,Bingkun Huang,Zhaoxiang Liu,Junjie Zhen,Min Nie,Le Min,Xueyan Wu | | Human Reproduction. 2015; 30(9): 2031 | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | | 9 |
Growth hormone treatment of adolescents with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) during the transition period: results of a survey among adult and paediatric endocrinologists from Italy. Endorsed by SIEDP/ISPED, AME, SIE, SIMA |
|
| G. Aimaretti,R. Attanasio,S. Cannavň,M. C. Nicoletti,R. Castello,C. Di Somma,P. Garofalo,L. Iughetti,S. Loche,M. Maghnie,L. Mazzanti,G. Saggese,M. Salerno,G. Tonini,V. Toscano,S. Zucchini,M. Cappa | | Journal of Endocrinological Investigation. 2014; | | [Pubmed] | [DOI] | |
|
 |
 |
|