[The relationships of the serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factors in fetal rats with intrauterine growth retardation].
OBJECTIVE
To observe the alterations of serum insulin-like growth factor-I,-II (IGF-I, IGF-II) in rat fetus and to investigate the relationship of serum IGFs with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).


METHODS
21 pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n = 9) and experimental group (IUGR group, n = 12). On day 14 of gestation, the bilateral uterine arteries and veins of experimental group were clamped for 20 minutes to build the rat IUGR models and sham surgeries were performed on control group. Fetal serum concentrations of IGFs, birth weight, the length and weight of fetal liver, lung, brain and placenta of all rats in the two groups were measured and compared.


RESULTS
The serum concentrations of IGF-I,-II of IUGR group were 117.92 +/- 26.58 ng/ml and 223.19 +/- 33.35 ng/ml, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of control group (234.43 +/- 70.65 ng/ml and 397.74 +/- 23.69 ng/ml, respectively, P < 0.01). Likewise, birth weight, the length and weight of liver, lung, brain and placenta in IUGR group were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The decrease of fetal serum concentrations of IGF-I,-II may be one of the internal factors contributing to fetal IUGR, and IGFs may play an important role in fetal growth.
Bai
B
B
Department of Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital, WCUMS, Chengdu 610041, China.
Yao
Y
Y
Li
W
W
Zeng
Y
Y
Yang
F
F
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013002:Somatomedins / Q000378:metabolism*
D013002:Somatomedins