Reduced autophagy in livers of fasted, fat-depleted, ghrelin-deficient mice: reversal by growth hormone.

Abstract in brief

• The study shows that in fasting, fat-depleted mice, plasma growth hormone (GH) increases and boosts liver autophagy to prevent hypoglycemia, but mice lacking ghrelin (which stimulates GH) experience lethal low blood sugar due to reduced autophagy.
• GH infusion in ghrelin-deficient mice during calorie restriction restores liver autophagy and prevents death from hypoglycemia, although short-term GH injections do not immediately raise blood glucose levels, likely because of liver energy deficits.
• These findings suggest that long-term GH stimulation of autophagy is essential to maintain blood glucose during fasting in fat-depleted mice, whereas short-term GH treatment alone is insufficient without proper energy supply.]