The effect of low and high plasma levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the morphology of major organs: studies of Laron dwarf and bovine growth hormone transgenic (bGHTg) mice

Histol Histopathol. 2013 Oct;28(10):1325-36. doi: 10.14670/HH-28.1325. Epub 2013 Apr 24.

Abstract

It is well known that somatotrophic/insulin signaling affects lifespan in experimental animals. To study the effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plasma level on the morphology of major organs, we analyzed lung, heart, liver, kidney, bone marrow, and spleen isolated from 2-year-old growth hormone receptor knockout (GHR-KO) Laron dwarf mice (with low circulating plasma levels of IGF-1) and 6-month-old bovine growth hormone transgenic (bGHTg) mice (with high circulating plasma levels of IGF-1). The ages of the two mutant strains employed in our studies were selected based on their overall ~50% survival (Laron dwarf mice live up to ~4 years and bGHTg mice up to ~1 year). Morphological analysis of the organs of long-living 2-year-old Laron dwarf mice revealed a lower biological age for their organs compared with normal littermates, with more brown adipose tissue (BAT) surrounding the main body organs, lower levels of steatosis in liver, and a lower incidence of leukocyte infiltration in different organs. By contrast, the organs of 6-month-old, short-living bGHTg mice displayed several abnormalities in liver and kidney and a reduced content of BAT around vital organs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue, Brown / pathology
  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Densitometry
  • Fatty Liver / pathology
  • Growth Hormone / genetics
  • Growth Hormone / metabolism
  • Hepatocytes / cytology
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / biosynthesis*
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / physiology*
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / genetics
  • Kidney / pathology
  • Leukocytes / cytology
  • Liver / pathology
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP) / genetics
  • Plasma / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Spleen / pathology
  • Time Factors
  • Tissue Distribution

Substances

  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • growth hormone, bovine
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Growth Hormone
  • Pck1 protein, rat
  • Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase (GTP)