title: The effects of octreotide on GH receptor and IGF-I expression in the GH-deficient rat.
abstract: Somatostatin has been suggested to influence the somatotrophic axis outside the central nervous system, in reducing GH-induced IGF-I mRNA and IGF-I generation. This study aimed to determine whether such effects were mediated via the GH receptor (GHR). GH-deficient dwarf rats aged 45-47 days (n = 8 per group) received twice daily subcutaneous injections of octreotide (1 mg/kg) (group O), saline (group S), octreotide (1 mg/kg) plus bovine GH (0.25 mg/kg) (group OG), or bovine GH (0.25 mg/kg) plus saline (group G) for 10 days. Octreotide-treated animals had less weight gain compared with saline-treated animals, but not when GH cotreated (group OG vs G). Octreotide had an overall effect on decreasing length gain (P < 0.01). Serum IGF-I (ng/ml) was reduced by octreotide (group O 171 +/- 11, group S 239 +/- 20, P < 0.01; group OG 283 +/- 30, group G 362 +/- 10, P < 0.001), as was serum insulin (P < 0.001). A significant decrease in hepatic and muscle IGF-I mRNA expression was found as expected, yet this was not associated with decreased hepatic GHR expression. Rather, an increase in hepatic 125I-bovine GH specific binding was observed (P < 0.001) and, in GH-cotreated animals (OG), hepatic GHR and GH binding protein (GHBP) mRNA expression were also increased by octreotide by approximately 40%. In muscle, octreotide was associated with an approximately 30% decrease in GHBP mRNA and no effect on GHR mRNA. This study suggests that the suppressive effects of octreotide on IGF-I metabolism, at least in liver, are not mediated via down-regulation of GHR expression, but more likely by direct effects on IGF-I expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ambler
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Padmanabhan
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Breier
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Gluckman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004392:Dwarfism / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D015282:Octreotide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D015282:Octreotide; C051815:somatotropin-binding protein