HGH represents Human Growth Hormone while GH means Growth Hormone, it is a peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals. It is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone that is synthesized, stored,and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland.
Somatotrophin refers to the growth hormone produced natively in animals, whereas the term somatropin refers to growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology ,and is abbreviated "rhGH"in humans.
Growth hormone is used clinically to treat children's growth discorders and adult growth hormone deficiency.In recent years, replacement therapies with human growth hormones(HGH) have become popular in the battle against aging. Reported effects include decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density ,increased energy levels,improved skin tone and texture, and improved immune system function.
Effects of growth hormone on the tissues of the body can generally be described as anabolic (building up). Like most other protein hormones, Gh acts by interacting with a specific receptor on the surface of cells.
Increased height during chilhood is the most widely known effect of GH. Height appears to be stimulated bu at least two mechanisms:
1. Because polypeptide hormones are not fat-soluble, they cannot penetrate sarcolemma. Thus, GH exerts some of its effects by binding to receptors on target cells, where it activates a second messenger. Through this mechanism GH directly stimulates division and multiplication of chondrocytes of cartilage.
2.GH also stimulates production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1,formerly known as somatomedin C ), a hormone homologous to proinsulin.The liver is a major target organ of GH for this process and is the principal site of IGF-1 production. IGF-1 has growth-stimulating effects on a wide variety of tissues. Additional IGF-1 is generated within target tissues, making it what appear to be both an endocrine and an autocrine/paracrine hormone.IGF-1 also has stimulatory effects on osteoblast and chondrocyte activity to promote bone growth.
In addition to increase height in children and adolescents,growth hormone has many other positive effects on human body:
Strengthen bone density
Build muscles
Help lipolysis
Increase protein synthesis
Stimulate growth of organs
Facilitate homeostasis
Reduce uptake of glucose
Help uptake of glucose
Help gluconeogenesis
Keep pancreatic islets healthy
Enhance the immune system
Anti-aging
Reduce fat