title: IGF-1 and insulin as growth hormones.
abstract: IGF-1 generated in the liver is the anabolic effector and linear growth promoting hormone of the pituitary growth hormone (GH). This is evidenced by dwarfism in states of congenital IGF-1 deficiency, Igf1 gene mutation/deletions or knockouts, and in Laron syndrome (LS), due to GH receptor gene mutations/deletions or IGF-1 receptor blocking. In a positive way, daily IGF-1 administration to stunted patients with LS or hGH gene deletion accelerates linear growth velocity. IGF-1 acts on the proliferative cells of the epiphyseal cartilage. IGF-1 also induces organ and tissue growth; its absence causing organomicria. Insulin shares a common ancestry with IGF-1 and with 45% amino acid homology, as well as very close relationships in the structure of its receptors and post-receptor cascade, also acts as a growth hormone. It has protein anabolic activity and stimulates IGF-1 synthesis. Pancreas agenesis causes short babies, and obese children with hyperinsulinism, with or without pituitary GH, have an accelerated growth rate and skeletal maturation; so do babies with macrosomia. Whether the insulin growth effect is direct, or mediated by IGF-1 or leptin is controversial.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Diabetes Research Unit, Schneider Children's Medical Center, WHO Collaborating Center for the Study of Diabetes in Youth, Petah Tikva and Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Zvi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Laron
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000502:physiology*; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone