The insulinlike growth factors (IGF) appear to exert feedback control over their own production. In an effort to determine the physiologic mechanisms for this feedback modulation, we utilized a previously developed in vivo model in which rIGF-II secreting tumor cells are transplanted into immunodeficient rats to form IGF-II secreting tumors. The tumor-bearing rat have serum IGF-II concentrations sevenfold greater than those in controls (119 +/- 16 ng/mL [mean +/- SE] v 17 +/- 2 ng/mL, P less than .0001). Serum IGF-I concentrations were reduced among the tumor-bearing rats (438 +/- 42 ng/mL v 606 +/- 32 ng/mL, P = .002) and were negatively correlated with IGF-II concentrations (r = -.47, P = .025), suggesting that IGF-II suppressed the secretion of IGF-I. Increased serum IGF-II concentrations, however, did not affect basal growth hormone concentrations (tumor-bearing, 44 +/- 12 ng/mL; control 33 +/- 6 ng/mL, P = 0.96). The GH response to GH releasing factor was likewise similar in both groups. Moreover, pituitary GH mRNA level were not different in the two groups, suggesting that IGF-II does not have a significant effect on GH secretion in this in vivo model. There was no association between serum glucose and serum IGF-I or IGF-II concentrations. To examine the effect of IGF-II on IGF-I production from the liver, we measured IGF-I mRNA levels in a subset of animals. Despite these differences in serum IGF-I concentrations, the tumor-bearing rats did not have significantly lower liver IGF-I mRNA levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)