Growth hormone induces low-density lipoprotein clearance but not bile acid synthesis in humans.

Objective: Growth hormone (GH) induces hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors and lowers plasma cholesterol. We characterized the influence of GH treatment on plasma LDL clearance in normal humans and investigated the relative role of LDL receptor (LDLR) activity and stimulation of bile acid synthesis in subjects with different LDLR expression.

Methods And Results: Plasma clearance of autologous 125I-LDL was measured before and during 3 weeks of treatment with GH (0.