Turner syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency before transplantation, Prader-Willi syndrome, a history of foetal growth restriction, short stature homeobox (SHOX) haploinsufficiency, Noonan syndrome, idiopathic short stature, and adult- or childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency are all approved indications for growth hormone therapy. Under a number of brand names, recombinant growth hormone is offered as a subcutaneous injection for children and adults.
Somatropin promotes growth in almost all tissues and organs in the body. It promotes long bone linear and cartilaginous growth. Growth hormone increases the number and size of muscle cells in children with short height. It also improves the development of internal organs and boosts red cell mass. Growth hormone stimulates cellular protein synthesis by boosting nitrogen retention. Growth hormone also keeps potassium and phosphorus in the blood, which could be due to cell growth.
