[The regulatory effects of arginine on hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1 secretion in rats and its implication].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the regulatory effect of arginine on the secretion of hepatic insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and the mechanism of enhancing the immune function by arginine.


METHODS
Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC), wound control (WC), and wound with arginine (Arg) groups, with 8 rats in each group. The rats in WC and Arg groups were inflicted with soft tissue trauma on the back. The rats in Arg group were fed a diet supplemented with 5% arginine for one week, while those in NC and WC groups were fed with glycine. The serum contents of arginine, ornithine, growth factor (GH), NO and IGF-I were determined 7 days after feeding. T cell proliferation and IGF-I mRNA expression in hepatic tissue were also measured. Meanwhile, the rat hepatocytes were cultured in serum-free medium containing different concentrations of arginine. The supernatant was collected for the determination of IGF-I level.


RESULTS
1). There was no obvious difference of the serum level of arginine and ornithine between NC and WC groups (P > 0.05), but the contents of them were obviously higher in the Arg group compared with other two groups (P < 0.01). 2). No difference in the serum GH level was found among all the groups (P > 0.05), but the serum NO content in WC and Arg groups was significantly lower than that in NC group (P < 0.01), and the serum IGF-I content in WC group decreased obviously compared with that in NC group (P < 0.01). 3). The thymocyte proliferation rate in WC group was also markedly lower than that in NC group (P < 0.01), but that in Arg group was improved compared with WC group (P < 0.01). 4). The expression of hepatic IGF-I mRNA: The relative value of IGF-I mRNA was 1.19 +/- 0.06, 1.08 +/- 0.06 and 1.29 +/- 0.06 in NC, WC and Arg, respectively, while the value in WC was lower than that in NC (P < 0.05) group, and that in Arg group was much higher than that in WC group (P < 0.01). 5). The IGF-I level in the supernatant of cultured hepatocytes: When Arg concentration was 0.0750, 0.7500, 7.5000 mmol/L in the culture medium, the IGF-I level in the supernatant of hepatic cell medi-um was obviously higher than that in the medium without arginine (P < 0.01). Although IGF-I level decreased in the culture medium with arginine in the dose of 37.5000 mmol/L, it was still obviously higher than that in the medium without arginine (P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Arginine could also produce the immune enhancing effect by stimulating hepatic IGF-I secretion.
Ma
Xiu-ling
XL
Department of Nutrition, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Tianjin 300050, P.R. China.
Guo
Chang-Jiang
CJ
Geng
Zhan-hui
ZH
Yang
Ji-jun
JJ
Wei
Jing-yu
JY
Gao
Lan-xing
LX
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000628:therapy
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D001120:Arginine