title: Growth hormone deficiency in 'little' mice results in aberrant body composition, reduced insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), but does not affect IGFBP-2, -1 or -4.
abstract: Although GH is known to regulate somatic growth during development, its role in regulating adult body composition is less well defined. The effects of GH on individual body compartments--water, fat, protein and mineral--are achieved both by the action of GH and by a GH-induced hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). We used a genetic model of GH deficiency, the 'little' (gene symbol lit) mouse, to determine the GH regulation of IGF-I and its insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and to define the interaction between these hormones and each body compartment in adults. Our results showed that GH-deficient lit/lit mice had reduced levels of serum IGF-I (range 38-130 micrograms/l) compared with normal lit/+ littermates (range 432-567 micrograms/l) between 2 and 52 weeks of age. The lit/lit mice did not experience the fivefold increase in IGF-I between 2 and 4 weeks of age that was seen in lit/+ mice. In lit/lit serum, overall binding of 125I-labelled IGF-I to the four IGFBPs was reduced, solely in response to a reduced amount of IGFBP-3. No overall differences were found between lit/lit and lit/+ mice in the binding of 125I-labelled IGF-I to IGFBP-2, -1 or -4. Age-related declines in IGF-I and IGFBPs were seen in lit/lit mice. However, adult levels of IGF-I were maintained in lit/+ mice to at least 52 weeks of age, as were levels of IGFBP-1 and -4, while IGFBP-3 and -2 declined with age. With respect to body composition, comparison of lit/lit with lit/+ mice showed that the lit/lit mice were characterized by abnormally large adipose tissue stores and reduced body water, protein and mineral from 2 weeks onward. These changes occurred despite normal energy intake in lit/lit mice up to 52 weeks of age, indicating that neither undernutrition nor hyperphagia is characteristic of this GH-induced model of obesity. Furthermore, lit/lit males accrued more body fat beginning at an earlier age than lit/lit females. With advancing age, the per cent body fat increased in both lit/lit and lit/+ mice, while the per cent body water and mineral declined. In lit/lit but not lit/+ mice, per cent protein also declined with age. The changes in body water and fat are attributable to lack of adequate GH in the genetically GH-deficient lit/lit mouse. On the other hand, the changes in body protein are more likely to be effects of IGF-I.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine 04609.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Donahue
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Beamer
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D018970:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D008903:Minerals; D011506:Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone