The effect of maternal starvation on plasma insulin-like growth factor I concentrations in the late gestation ovine fetus

• Published in: Pediatric research Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 401 - 404
• Main Authors: BASSETT, N. S, OLIVER, M. H, BREIER, B. H, GLUCKMAN, P. D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 01.04.1990
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Embryonic and Fetal Development - physiology; Female; Fetal Blood - metabolism; Gestational Age; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I - metabolism; Maternal-Fetal Exchange - physiology; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Pregnancy; Sheep; Somatomedins - metabolism; Starvation - blood; Pregnancy; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Denutrition; Somatomedin C; Growth; Animal; Fetus; Sheep; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Growth factor
• ISSN: 0031-3998; 1530-0447; 1530-0447
• DOI: 10.1203/00006450-199004000-00015

In view of the suggested relationship between substrate availability, fetal growth and circulating fetal IGF-I concentrations, we investigated the effect of maternal starvation on plasma IGF-I levels in the late gestation ovine fetus. Ten fetuses aged 125-130 d gestation were sampled daily from indwelling arterial catheters. Ewes were starved for 72 h. Starvation was terminated with an intravenous infusion of 10% glucose to the ewe. Food was then replaced 4 h later. Fetal IGF-I concentrations fell from 176.1 +/- 15.2 ng/mL before starvation to 124.5 +/- 10.3 ng/mL after 72 h starvation (p less than 0.05, n = 10). The fall in IGF-I concentrations was reversed by 4 h of maternal glucose infusion. In five fetuses, where samples were obtained 24 h after terminating the starvation, fetal IGF-I concentrations were comparable to those seen before starvation (180.0 +/- 37.7 ng/mL). This study demonstrates that acute maternal starvation causes a reversible decrease in fetal plasma IGF-I levels. These studies suggest that nutrient and in particular glucose availability is a significant determinant of fetal IGF-I secretion and support the hypothesis that IGF-I may play a role in the regulation of fetal growth.