GH1 and familial dilated cardiomyopathy: On the other hand, anti-activin A treatment also increased expression levels of GH mRNA in the pituitary (N.F. K.M., unpublished data), suggesting that upregulation of activin A in heart failure might inhibit the expression of GH not only in Gr-1(+) cells but also in the pituitary, and that anti-activin A treatment might improve cardiac function of DCM mice in part by restoring GH expression in the pituitary.