title: Insulin-like growth factor-I concentration in Holstein female cattle: variations with age, stage of lactation and growth hormone-releasing factor administration.
abstract: Plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations were monitored in Holstein females through different periods of their growth, lactation and after acute or chronic growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) administration. Plasma samples were radioimmunoassayed using a human IGF-I antibody after a 24 hr incubation in a HCl(.1N)-glycine(.2M) buffer (pH 2). In a first study, IGF-I concentrations were measured in Holstein females of different ages and(or) stages of lactation (n = 6 per group). The IGF-I concentrations in newborn calves (102.0 +/- 11.3 ng/ml) markedly decreased (P less than .01) in 1 mo old animals (50.2 +/- 7.1 ng/ml), then increased (P less than .01) to 137.0 +/- 5.1 and 137.4 +/- 11.0 ng/ml in 6 and 10 mo old heifers, respectively. In dairy cows, IGF-I concentrations were low 24 hr post-partum (44.7 +/- 7.6 ng/ml) and then increased (P less than .05) to remain stable throughout lactation (91.3 +/- 4.9, 92.8 +/- 12.9, 96.1 +/- 7.6, 90.7 +/- 8.8 ng/ml at 2, 3, 6 and 9 mo of lactation, respectively). There was a further increase (P less than .05) to 113.7 +/- 3.1 ng/ml during the dry period. In a second trial, blood samples were collected from lactating dairy cows every 2 hr for 24 hr following a sc injection of saline (n = 4) or human (h) GRF (1-29)NH2 (10 micrograms/kg BW, n = 4). The IGF-I peak concentration was reached on average 10 hr after the GRF injection and was higher (P less than .01) in treated cows than in control cows (135.4 vs 86.9 +/- 16.2 ng/ml). In the last trial, daily sc injections of 10 micrograms of hGRF(1-29)NH2 per kg BW to dairy cows (252 days of lactation) for 57 days, which increased milk production by 14% (2 kg/day), also increased (P less than .01) IGF-I concentration: 127.1 +/- 5.3 and 118.0 +/- 1.6 vs 90.7 +/- 4.7 and 96.0 +/- 5.0 ng/ml on days 29 and 57 of treatment for treated (n = 9) and control (n = 8) cows, respectively. Thus, the IGF-I concentration in dairy cattle varies with age and stage of lactation, and is increased by GRF administration in lactating dairy cows.
authors.affiliation: Montreal University, Notre-Dame Hospital Research Center, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abribat
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lapierre
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dubreuil
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pelletier
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaudreau
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brazeau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petitclerc
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis*; D007774:Lactation / Q000097:blood*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013002:Somatomedins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone