Table 2 Summary of experimental and clinical studies about the renal safety of growth hormone (n = 9)
Dose & Duration | Subjects | Type of study | Main results | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2.5, 5, 10, and 20 lU/kg/day subcutaneously for 4–60 days | Female rats | Experimental | - Dose-dependent increase in renal weight - No change in kidney dry weight/body weight ratio - Increase in renal glomerular and tubular cell proliferation and renal DNA/protein ratio | Mehls et al. 1993 [86] |
0.025, 0.1, and 1 IU/kg/day subcutaneously for 14 weeks | Male and female dogs | Experimental | - Increase in body weight gain and kidney weights - Glomerular deposits, mesangial thickening, and very slight cellular infiltration in glomeruli - Increase in the renal glomerular area - Glomerular basal lamina thickening - Increase in mesangial matrix | Molon-Noblot et al. 2000 [87] |
5–10 mg/day for 3–9 days | 2 patients with hypopituitarism, 1 with cirrhosis of the liver and 2 with chronic nephritis and uremia | Case report | - Decrease in plasma urea level and urea excretion - Prompt increase in creatinine clearance and phosphorus reabsorption | Gershberg 1960 [80] |
More than 400 mg/week testosterone proprionate and/or nandrolone deconate intramuscularly | 4 body builders aged between 20 and 26 years | Case report | - Increase in serum creatinine and decreased in eGFR - Development of acute tubular necrosis | Almukhtar et al. 2015 [22] |
50 ng/kg/min as an infusion for 2 h | Healthy men | Pilot clinical trial | - Decrease in renal plasma flow - No change in GFR | Parving et al. 1978 [81] |
2 IU in the morning and 4 IU in the evening subcutaneously for 1 week | Healthy men | Pilot clinical trial | - Increase in GFR and renal plasma flow - No significant change in kidney size and urinary excretion rates of albumin and β2-microglobulin | Christiansen et al. 1981 [93] |
0.125 IU/kg per week subcutaneously for the first 4 weeks and 0.25 IU/kg per week for the subsequent 5 months | Growth hormone deficient adults | Double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over clinical trial | - No change in GFR and renal plasma flow - No effect on kidney size | Riedl et al. 1995 [82] |
0·02 IU/kg/day (or 7 μg/kg/day) subcutaneously for 10 months | Adults with childhood onset GH deficiency | Pilot clinical trial | - Increase in left ventricular-mass index and kidney length - No abnormalities or change in the urine analysis | Link et al. 2001 [94] |
6 IU/m2 per day subcutaneously for 6 days | Healthy volunteer males | Randomized, cross-over clinical trial | - Increase in the plasma renin - Increase in distal tubule sodium and water reabsorption - Decrease in mean 24-h urinary output and mean 24-h urinary sodium excretion | Hansen et al. 2001 [99] |