title: Synergistic effects of insulin-like growth factor-I and human chorionic gonadotropin in the rat ovary.
abstract: Insulin and low doses of lutenizing hormone (LH) activity (human chorionic gonadotropin [hCG]) act synergistically in the rat to produce anovulation, large ovarian cysts, and elevated plasma androstenedione levels. Further, both insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) affect the ability of gonadotropins to enhance both ovarian theca and granulosa cell function in vitro. The present series of experiments were performed to determine if recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I) can act in a manner similar to insulin when combined with subovulatory doses of hCG in adult normally cycling rats. Fifty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to the following treatment groups at the age of 64 days: (A) vehicle alone (controls, phosphate-buffered saline containing 0.09% pig gelatin), (B) twice-daily subcutaneous injections of 0.5 to 3.0 U insulin, (C) twice-daily subcutaneous injections of 1.5 U hCG, (D) both insulin and hCG, (E) twice-daily subcutaneous injections of rhIGF-I (2.5 mg/kg/d), and (F) both hCG and rhIGF-I. After 22 days of treatment, the animals were killed on day 23, trunk blood was collected, and the ovaries were excised for histological study. Eight of 9 control rats and 5 or 6 of 9 rats treated with insulin, hCG, or rhIGF-I alone displayed normal estrus cycles throughout the in vivo treatment period as assessed by daily vaginal smears. In marked contrast, only 1 animal treated with hCG + insulin and 2 animals treated with hCG + rhIGF-I continued to display vaginal smears indicative of normal cycling. Multiple large ovarian follicular cysts were found only in these latter 2 groups (3 of 9 animals in each group). Mean serum testosterone levels were significantly elevated in animals receiving insulin + hCG (0.72 +/- 0.28 v 0.17 +/- 0.03 ng/mL in controls, P = .05). Mean serum androstenedione levels were significantly elevated in animals receiving hCG and animals receiving rhIGF-I + hCG (5.57 +/- 0.99 and 2.39 +/- 0.68 ng/mL, respectively, v0.14 +/- 0.14 ng/mL in controls, P< .01 and P< .05, respectively). We conclude that rhIGF-I and insulin act synergistically with subovulatory doses of hCG to disrupt normal reproductive cycling, elevate serum androgen concentrations, and induce large ovarian cysts in intact adult rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Damario
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bogovich
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rosenwaks
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poretsky
mesh_terms: D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010048:Ovarian Cysts / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D007328:Insulin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D004958:Estradiol; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I