title: Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on nitrogen balance and intestinal galactose transport in rats with moderate liver cirrhosis.
abstract: The malnutrition caused by liver cirrhosis (LC) often worsens the course of the disease. Patients affected by LC often have a low bioavailability of the anabolic liver peptide insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of low doses of IGF-I on the nutritional status and in vivo jejunal transport of D-galactose in anatomically, pathologically and biochemically confirmed moderate, non-ascitic, cirrhotic rats. LC was experimentally induced in growing rats by inhalation of CCl4 and addition of phenobarbital to drinking water. Both the nutritional status, as evaluated by N balance, and in vivo intestinal transport of D-galactose, were significantly impaired in cirrhotic rats. As compared with healthy rats, administration of 20 microg human recombinant IGF-I/kg body weight for 14 d to cirrhotic rats significantly improved N balance variables and restored in vivo intestinal transport of the sugar. However, IGF-I had no effect on the steatorrhoea associated with LC. These results suggest that low doses of IGF-I may have beneficial effects on the malnutrition associated with moderate LC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Urdaneta
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santidrián
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005243:Feces; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism*; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology; D007583:Jejunum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C065700:myotrophin; D009584:Nitrogen; D005690:Galactose