This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Martín, M. A Articles by Álvarez, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Martín, M. A Articles by Álvarez, C. Pubmed/NCBI databases Gene GEO Profiles HomoloGene UniGene Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH

Protein-Caloric Food Restriction Affects Insulin-Like Growth Factor System in Fetal Wistar Rat

Instituto de Bioquímica, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas Universidad Complutense de Madrid (M.A.M., S.R., E.F., L.G., A.M.P.-L., F.E., C.A.), Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain; and the Laboratory of Physiopathology of Nutrition (P.S., M.N.G., M.L., B.P.), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Unité Mixte de Recherche 7059, Université Paris 7/D, Denis Diderot, 7525 Paris Cedex 05, France

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Carmen Alvarez, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: calvarez{at}farm.ucm.es.

We have previously shown that fetuses from protein-caloric undernourished pregnant rats (35% of control diet during the last week of pregnancy) at 21.5 d post coitum exhibit increased ß-cell mass. This alteration is correlated with increased insulinemia and total pancreatic insulin content, a pattern similar to that reported in infants of mild diabetic mothers. In this work, we investigated in undernourished fetuses: 1) whether availability of growth factors such as insulin, GH, and IGFs and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) could be implicated in this alteration, and 2) the ß-cell mitogenic response to IGFs in vitro. The results show that maternal undernutrition increases pancreatic IGF-I expression and islet IGF-I receptor content in undernourished fetuses, whereas hepatic IGF-I expression and serum IGF-I levels were decreased. No changes were observed in serum IGF-II, and its expression was diminished in undernourished pancreases and unchanged in the liver, compared with control fetuses. Serum levels and liver and pancreatic mRNA expression of IGFBP-1 were found to be normal in undernourished fetuses, whereas the serum concentration and abundance of IGFBP-2 mRNA in pancreas were increased. Finally, the ß-cell mitogenic response to IGFs in vitro was significantly increased in undernourished fetal islets, compared with controls. In conclusion, in undernourished fetuses the increased ß-cell mass can be related to the stimulation of replicative ß-cell response due to locally increased pancreatic IGF-I mRNA; this effect is perhaps potentiated or favored by the enhanced islet IGF-I receptor content and pancreatic IGFBP-2 gene expression.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Fernandez, M. A. Martin, S. Fajardo, F. Escriva, and C. Alvarez Increased IRS-2 content and activation of IGF-I pathway contribute to enhance beta-cell mass in fetuses from undernourished pregnant rats Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, January 1, 2007; 292(1): E187 - E195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Fernandez, M. A. Martin, S. Fajardo, D. Bailbe, M. N. Gangnerau, B. Portha, F. Escriva, P. Serradas, and C. Alvarez Undernutrition does not alter the activation of beta-cell neogenesis and replication in adult rats after partial pancreatectomy Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, November 1, 2006; 291(5): E913 - E921. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]