somatotrofos

Somatotrophs, also called somatotropes, are a population of hormone-producing cells located in the anterior pituitary gland (adenohypophysis). They are among the major endocrine cell types in this gland and are typically characterized as acidophilic in histology. The primary product of somatotrophs is growth hormone (GH), also known as somatotropin, which plays a central role in growth and metabolism.

GH acts on multiple tissues, but its principal growth-promoting effects are mediated indirectly through the liver, where GH stimulates the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 mediates many of GH’s effects on bone, cartilage, muscle, and other tissues, and GH also exerts direct metabolic actions, including effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. The secretion of GH from somatotrophs is pulsatile and regulated by hypothalamic signals.

Regulation of somatotroph activity involves hypothalamic hormones: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) stimulates GH release, while somatostatin inhibits it. Other factors, such as ghrelin, sleep, nutrition, exercise, and circulating IGF-1, influence GH secretion and provide feedback control. The activity and responsiveness of somatotrophs vary with age, nutritional status, and health.

Clinical relevance includes conditions arising from abnormal GH secretion. GH deficiency in children causes short stature and growth failure, whereas excess GH before epiphyseal closure leads to gigantism; in adults, excess GH causes acromegaly. Pituitary adenomas can secrete GH, and diagnostic and therapeutic strategies often target GH and IGF-1 levels, using approaches such as GH supplementation in deficiency or receptor-targeted therapies in excess.