OBJECTIVETo study the effect of L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Gln) on the levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) in the intestinal tissues of low-birth-weight (LBW) newborn rats with hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced intestinal injury.

METHODSPregnant rats were fed with or without smoking. The rats born by those fed without smoking were included in group A; for the rats born by those fed with smoking, normal-birth-weight rats were included in group B, and LBW rats were randomly divided into control group (group C), hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) group (group D), and Ala-Gln group (group E). Each group consisted of 24 newborn rats. The rats in groups D and E received H/R treatment twice a day for three consecutive days to establish an intestinal injury model; the rats in group E were intraperitoneally injected with Ala-Gln (10 ml/kg) before daily H/R treatment, while those in groups C and D were given an equal dose of normal saline by intraperitoneal injections. On days 4, 7, and 10 after birth, 8 rats were sacrificed in each group to collect intestinal tissues. The IGF-1 levels in intestinal tissues were measured using ELISA, and IGF-1R levels were measured by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in IGF-1 and IGF-1R levels between groups A and B at all time points. The levels of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in group C kept increasing, were higher than those in other groups on day 7 (P<0.05), and reached a normal level on day 10, without significant differences compared with those in groups A and B. Group D had significantly lower IGF-1 and IGF-1R levels than group C at all time points (P<0.05). The levels of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in group E were lower than those in group C on days 4 and 7 (P<0.05), but they increased to approximately the levels in group C and were significantly higher than those in group D on day 10.

CONCLUSIONSIntrauterine and postnatal hypoxia may induce intestinal injury in LBW newborn rats, and parenteral administration of high-dose Ala-Gln can reduce hypoxia-induced intestinal injury. Therefore, Ala-Gln has a protective effect against hypoxia-induced intestinal injury.

Animals ; Birth Weight ; Dipeptides ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hypoxia ; metabolism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; Intestines ; chemistry ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; analysis

We present three cases of malignant solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTP) that produced recurrent hypoglycemia. Removal of the tumors produced normoglycemia. The tumors were well circumscribed and lobulated, and consisted of firm masses weighing 1,150 g to 1,450 g with the greatest diameter of 15 to 20 cm. The tumors were composed of spindle cells in fascicles or in a haphazard arrangement and were highly cellular and mitotically active (3-8 mitoses/10 high-power fields), showing histologically malignant features. Ultrastructurally, fibroblastic features of the tumor cells were present. Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) have been implicated in the presentation of hypoglycemia. The serum insulin and C-peptide levels were not elevated. Serum IGF-I levels were also low with values of 97.4, 157.1 and 51.9 ng/mL (ref. 125-317 ng/mL), respectively. However, tumor cells were strongly positive for IGF-I receptor on immunohistochemical analysis. It is tempting to speculate that IGF-I contributes to the hypoglycemia, even though the circulating levels were low.
Aged ; Blood Glucose ; Coin Lesion, Pulmonary/chemistry/*complications/pathology ; Female ; Human ; Hypoglycemia/*etiology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Age ; Pleural Neoplasms/chemistry/*complications/pathology ; Receptor, IGF Type 1/*analysis ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the potential role of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor mRNA (IGF-IR mRNA) in the onset and development of retinopathy in diabetic rats.

METHODSA diabetic model was duplicated in Wistar rats. The early changes in the retina were examined using light and transmission electron microscopy. Expression of IGF-IR mRNA was analyzed using in situ hybridization.

RESULTSWeak expression of IGF-IR mRNA (5%) was found in retinas of normal rats, but was significantly increased (15% and 18%) in the retinas of diabetic rats after 3 and 6 months of diabetes (P < 0.01). In situ hybridization and morphological study demonstrated that there was a positive correlation between IGF-IR mRNA expression and retinal changes at various stages.

CONCLUSIONIncreased IGF-IR mRNA might play an important role in the onset and development of diabetic retinopathy.

Animals ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; etiology ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; physiology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; genetics ; Retina ; metabolism ; pathology

BACKGROUND: Uterine leiomyomas are common benign smooth muscle tumors among the reproductive aged-women. The research has been aimed to identify the differentially expressed genes between normal myometrium and leiomyoma and to investigate the effects of E2 on their expression. METHODS: Gene microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes between normal myomerium and leiomyoma. The data was confirmed at protein level by tissue microarray. RESULTS: Gene microarray analysis revealed 792 upregulated genes in leiomyoma. Four genes (tropomyosin 4 [TPM4], collagen, type IV, alpha 2 [COL4alpha2], insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 [IGFBP5], tripartite motif-containing 28 [TRIM28]) showed the most dramatic upregulation in all leiomyoma samples. Tissue microarray analyses of 262 sample pairs showed significantly elevated expression of TPM4, IGFBP5, estrogen receptor-alpha, and progesterone receptor (PR) protein in leiomyoma from the patients in their forties, COL4alpha2 in the forties and fifties age-groups, and TRIM28 in the thirties age-group. PR, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and IGFBP5 were induced by E2 in in vitro culture of tissue explants from which cells migrated throughout the plate. Among these, PR, IGF-1, IGFBP5 genes showed higher expression in tissue compared to cells-derived from tissue in leiomyoma and IGF-1R in leiomyoma cell. CONCLUSIONS: This observation implies the importance of the whole tissue context including the cells-derived from tissue in the research for the understanding of molecular mechanism of leiomyoma. Here, we report higher expression of TRIM28 in leiomyoma for the first time and identify E2-responsive genes that may have important roles in leiomyoma development.
Animals ; Collagen Type IV ; Estrogens ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 5 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Leiomyoma ; Mice ; Microarray Analysis ; Myometrium ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Smooth Muscle Tumor ; Tissue Array Analysis ; Transcriptome ; Up-Regulation ; Uterus

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of astragaloside on the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and associated proteins in mice with viral myocarditis.

METHODSSixty-five 4-week-old BALB/C mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal control, astragaloside control, untreated myocarditis, low-dose and high-dose astragaloside-treated myocarditis. The BALB/C mice in the later three groups were intraperitoneally injected with CVB3. The low-dose and high-dose astragaloside-treated myocarditis groups were given astragaloside of 0.07 and 0.6 mg/kg•d, respectively by intragastric administration. Fifteen days later, the samples of blood and muscular tissues were obtained. The expression of IGF-1 in plasma was measured using ELISA. The levels of IGF-1 and associated proteins in muscular tissues were measured by immunohistochemistry. The expression of IGF-1 mRNA in muscular tissues was examined by RT-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSThe expression of IGF-1 and associated proteins increased significantly in mice infected with CVB3. High-dose astragaloside treatment reduced the expression of IGF-1 and associated proteins, but low-dose astragaloside did not.

CONCLUSIONSHigh-dose astragaloside may reduce the expression of IGF-1 and associated proteins in mice with acute viral myocarditis, possibly thus providing protective effects on muscular tissues.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Enterovirus B, Human ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; analysis ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; analysis ; genetics ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Myocarditis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; chemistry ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; analysis ; Saponins ; therapeutic use ; Triterpenes ; therapeutic use