title: Ventricular expression and circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor I in heart transplant recipients.
abstract: 1. Insulin-like growth factor I is a major mediator of growth-promoting activities. We studied the ventricular insulin-like growth factor I gene expression at mRNA and peptide levels in 24 heart transplant recipients (14 children and 10 adults), using 'slot blot' hybridization with insulin-like growth factor I cDNA probe and a specific radioimmunoassay. 2. Ventricular insulin-like growth factor I mRNA was detected in all the cardiac transplant children but was below the limit of detection in the cardiac transplant adults. Ventricular insulin-like growth factor I levels were significantly higher in the transplant children [174 +/- 15 (SEM; range 39-950) pg/mg soluble protein] than in transplant adults [39 +/- 2 (range 14-85) pg/mg soluble protein, P < 0.01, n = 14]. Circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor I in the cardiac transplant children [164 +/- 10 (range 105-192) ng/ml] and adults [176 +/- 15 (range 126-244) ng/ml] were within normal ranges for children and adults. 3. These results suggest that the human heart is a site for insulin-like growth factor I production and provide support for an autocrine role for insulin-like growth factor I in the ventricle, despite cardiac denervation.
authors.affiliation: Heart Sciences Centre, National Heart and Lung Institute, Harefield Hospital, Middlesex, U.K.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ationu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Leval
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Whitehead
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015870:Gene Expression; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I