Objective
To evaluate the efficacy of growth hormone in reversing glucocorticoid-induced musculoskeletal changes including osteoporosis and myopathy in rats.

Method
Experimental rats were divided into five groups and each group was composed of 10 rats. The group 1 was administered with saline, group 2 with growth hormone, group 3 with glucocorticoid, group 4 with combined dosages of growth hormone and glucocorticoid, and group 5 with glucocorticoid for 4 weeks and then growth hormone for another 4 weeks. All injections were carried out every other day for 8 weeks. The half of animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks and another half after 8 weeks in each group. The triceps surae muscle was biopsied and examined histologically for the evaluation of mean area of muscle fiber. The femur was removed and dissected for the measurement of its weight, length, and diameter. The bone mineral density of the femur was measured by a dual energy X-ray absorptiometer.

Results
Administration of growth hormone partially reversed the complications of steroid such as decrease in body weight, decrease in weight, length, diameter, and bone mineral density of femur, and decrease in mean area of muscle fiber.

Conclusion
This study indicated that growth hormone could be applied for the management of steroid-induced osteoporosis and myopathy.