Differential effects of malnutrition, bile duct ligation and galactosamine injection in young rats on serum levels and gene expression of IGF-binding proteins

Abstract

Hepatic gene expression and circulating levels of IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP)-1 to -4 were examined in two rat models of liver disease employing acute hepatitis or chronic structural damage. The study comprised four groups: group 1 (n = 6) was injected intraperitoneally with saline and food was available ad libitum (AL), group 2 (n = 6) underwent bile duct ligation (BDL), group 3 (n = 6) was injected with 400 mg galactosamine (GAL), group 4 (n = 6) was sham-operated and pair-fed to group 2 (PF). All were killed by decapitation at day 7. Serum IGF-I, by RIA, was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the BDL group (458 +/- 37 micrograms/l) and PF group (451 +/- 51 micrograms/l) compared with the AL group (643 +/- 77 micrograms/l) and GAL group (720 +/- 67 micrograms/l). Immunoblotting showed raised IGFBP-2 levels in all groups compared with AL (BDL, 167 +/- 14% of AL; GAL, 173 +/- 13%; PF, 149 +/- 9%). IGFBP-3 was decreased in the GAL (56 +/- 11%) and PF groups (66 +/- 5%) but increased in the BDL group (154 +/- 29%). IGFBP-4 was decreased in the GAL (76 +/- 11%) and PF groups (47 +/- 5%) but unchanged in the BDL group (90 +/- 10%). By Northern analysis, IGFBP-1 mRNA expression was increased in the GAL (321 +/- 51%) and PF groups (263 +/- 12%) but reduced in the BDL group (68 +/- 8%). IGFBP-2 expression increased in all groups (PF, 836 +/- 19%; BDL, 683 +/- 121%; GAL, 372 +/- 68%) and was highest in the BDL and PF groups. IGFBP-3 expression was reduced in all groups (BDL, 57 +/- 16%; GAL, 52 +/- 12% PF, 51 +/- 13%). IGFBP-4 expression was reduced in the GAL (30 +/- 4%) and PF (28 +/- 5%) groups but unchanged in the BDL group (76 +/- 9%). Marked changes in gene expression of IGFBPs occurred in both models of liver disease, together with serum changes, which were different from each other and from malnutrition alone.