Growth Hormone Reduces Tumor Liver Development in a MASLD-Related HCC Murine Model

@article{oyarzun2026growth,
  title = {{Growth Hormone Reduces Tumor Liver Development in a MASLD-Related HCC Murine Model}},
  author = {Vanessa I. Oyarzún and Jessica Liberona and Loreto Aguilar and Nancy Solis and Paula Rivera Aguayo and Wilfredo A. González-Arriagada and Michelle S. Fernández-Cuya and Gonzalo Carrasco-Avino and Roberto Candia and Marco Arrese and Luis Antonio Díaz and Juan Pablo Arab and Claudio Cabello-Verrugio and Elisa Balboa and Lisbell D. Estrada and Jesús Llanquinao-Sandoval and Gabriel Mezzano and Francisco Barrera and Daniel Cabrera},
  journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.3390/ijms27219985},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9985},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Growth Hormone Reduces Tumor Liver Development in a MASLD-Related HCC Murine Model
AU  - Vanessa I. Oyarzún
AU  - Jessica Liberona
AU  - Loreto Aguilar
AU  - Nancy Solis
AU  - Paula Rivera Aguayo
AU  - Wilfredo A. González-Arriagada
AU  - Michelle S. Fernández-Cuya
AU  - Gonzalo Carrasco-Avino
AU  - Roberto Candia
AU  - Marco Arrese
AU  - Luis Antonio Díaz
AU  - Juan Pablo Arab
AU  - Claudio Cabello-Verrugio
AU  - Elisa Balboa
AU  - Lisbell D. Estrada
AU  - Jesús Llanquinao-Sandoval
AU  - Gabriel Mezzano
AU  - Francisco Barrera
AU  - Daniel Cabrera
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/07
JO  - International Journal of Molecular Sciences
DO  - 10.3390/ijms27219985
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/27/21/9985
AB  - Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)-related hepatocarcinogenesis involves metabolic injury, fibrosis, and dysregulated regenerative signaling. Because growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) can support repair but also activate proliferative pathways, their effects in advanced disease remain uncertain. We investigated that effect in a MASLD-related HCC model. Male C57BL/6J mice received a Western Diet (WD) and weekly carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injections for 24 weeks. At week 16, mice were allocated to untreated or hormone-treated groups, with continuous subcutaneous infusion of IGF-1 at 20 or 60 µg/kg/day or GH at 0.5 or 2 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. Both hormones reduced serum aminotransferases, lobular inflammation, hepatic collagen and altered selected fibrosis-related transcripts, whereas to IGF-1 20 µg/kg/day and GH 2 mg/kg/day reduced steatosis, and IGF-1 20 µg/kg/day and GH 0.5 mg/kg/day reduced hepatocyte ballooning. GH at 2 mg/kg/day was associated with fewer macroscopically detected hepatic surface nodules, while IGF-1 did not alter nodule burden. The GH 2 mg/kg/day group also showed a lower hepatic p-ERK/ERK ratio. Thus, continuous GH administration during late-stage WD/CCl4-induced hepatocarcinogenesis was associated with lower hepatic nodule burden. Histopathological confirmation of the lesions and validation in additional models are required before interpreting this finding as an antitumor or therapeutic effect.
SN  - 1422-0067
ER  -