title: Intravenous infusion of insulin-like growth factor I in fetal sheep reduces hepatic IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs.
abstract: Liver contains the highest concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I mRNA in adult rats and sheep and is a major source of circulating IGF-I. In rats, inhibition of hepatic IGF-I production by exogenous IGF-I has been reported. In fetal sheep, skeletal muscle and liver are major sites of IGF-I synthesis and potential sources of circulating IGF-I. To determine whether feedback inhibition of IGF gene expression in fetal liver or muscle by IGF-I occurs, IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs were measured in these tissues after intravenous infusion of recombinant human IGF-I into fetal sheep. Infusion of IGF-I (26 +/- 4 micrograms.h-1.kg-1; n = 6) or saline (n = 6) commenced on day 120 of pregnancy (term = 150 days) and continued for 10 days. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I were threefold higher in infused fetuses at 130 days of gestation (P < 0.0003), whereas those of IGF-II were unchanged. IGF-I infusion reduced the relative abundance of IGF-I mRNA (P < 0.0002) and IGF-II mRNA (P < 0.01) in fetal liver by approximately 50% but did not alter IGF-I or IGF-II mRNA in skeletal muscle. These results indicate that IGF-I inhibits the expression of both IGF-I and IGF-II genes in fetal liver and that IGF gene expression in fetal liver and muscle is differentially regulated by IGF-I.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kind
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lok
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mundy
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gilmour
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Owens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012756:Sheep / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II