Regulation of Vascular Calcification by Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone and Its Agonists.

ABSTRACT: RATIONALE:Vascular calcification (VC) is a marker of the severity of atherosclerotic disease. Hormones play important roles in regulating calcification; estrogen and parathyroid hormones exert opposing effects, the former alleviating VC and the latter exacerbating it. To date no treatment strategies have been developed to regulate clinical VC. OBJECTIVE:The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and its agonist (GHRH-A) on the blocking of VC in a mouse model. METHODS AND RESULTS:Young adult osteoprotegerin-deficient mice were given daily subcutaneous injections of GHRH-A (MR409) for 4 weeks. Significant reductions in calcification of the aortas of MR409-treated mice were paralleled by markedly lower alkaline phosphatase activity and

SUBMITTER: Shen J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5948169 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature