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Accelerated growth and visceral lesions in transgenic mice expressing foreign genes of the growth hormone family: an overview

  • Endocrine Changes Review Article
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Abstract

Effects of growth hormone (GH) overproduction were studied in transgenic mice expressing murine metallothionein I-GH fusion genes. The most obvious consequence was the acceleration of growth, which led to substantial increases in body weight of up to more than twice that seen in controls. Growth of the internal organs was stimulated, with hepatomegaly and nephromegaly as the most prominent features. GH transgene expression was also reflected in increased skeletal growth which affected various bones to different extents. The mean life-span of human GH transgenic mice with serum levels of hGH ranging from 3×103 to 9×105 ng/ml was drastically reduced at 160 days in both sexes. Severe renal lesions were the primary cause of the decrease in life expectancy and were characterized by marked nephron atrophy, obsolescence of numerous glomeruli, and a massive cystic dilation of the tubules. Initial changes involved the glomeruli, which showed significant enlargement and sclerotic lesions. The liver exhibited a pronounced hepatocellularmegaly and progressive degenerative as well as hyperplastic changes. One-third of the hGH transgenic animals displayed myocardial fibrosis. Hepatocellylar carcinoma was found in bovine GH transgenic mice older than 12 months. Our observations are compared with results of other investigators.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Veterinary Pathology, University of Munich, Federal Republic of Germany

    Rüdiger Wanke, Walter Hermanns & Sigrid Folger

  2. Institute of Molecular Animal Breeding, University of Munich, Federal Republic of Germany

    Eckhard Wolf & Gottfried Brem

Authors
  1. Rüdiger Wanke
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  2. Walter Hermanns
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  3. Sigrid Folger
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  4. Eckhard Wolf
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  5. Gottfried Brem
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Wanke, R., Hermanns, W., Folger, S. et al. Accelerated growth and visceral lesions in transgenic mice expressing foreign genes of the growth hormone family: an overview. Pediatr Nephrol 5, 513–521 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01453693

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01453693

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