title: Igf-I and postnatal growth of weaver mutant mice.
abstract: IGF-I is an anabolic growth factor essential for growth and development, both as a mediator of growth hormone (GH) action and as a local stimulator of cell proliferation and differentiation. Although the importance of IGF-I in postnatal growth has been studied for several decades, its functions in pathological states are not fully understood. The weaver (wv) mutant mouse is a commonly used model for studying hereditary cerebellar ataxia and provides us with an opportunity to study the function of IGF-I in postnatal growth during neurodegeneration. In prepubertal wv mice, we found a parallel decrease in body weight and serum IGF-I. This parallel relationship was maintained in females, but not in males, as wv mice entered puberty. Interestingly, we found an increase in the levels of circulating IGF-I and hepatic mRNA preceded the catch-up of body weight of pubertal male wv mice. The increase in IGF-I levels coincided with a surge of circulating androgen at the onset of male puberty, suggesting that androgen might trigger the increase in IGF-I production in the pubertal and adult male wv mice. Overall, our results support the concept that IGF-I plays an important role in postnatal growth during and after neurodegeneration of wv mice. In addition, IGF-I's regulation of systemic growth during and after puberty is likely modulated by androgen in male wv mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Indiana University, IN 46202, USA.
authors.forename: Weiguo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Clifford J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rosen
authors.forename: Janet M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hock
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012737:Sex Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018972:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I