Dexamethasone increases hepatic insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) mRNA and serum IGFBP-1 concentrations in the rat

Abstract

Glucocorticoid excess is associated with growth retardation in both man and experimental animals. We have previously reported that dexamethasone (DXM) inhibits growth hormone induction of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) mRNA in the hypophysectomized rat and reduces steady-state IGF-I mRNA levels in the intact rat. However, in these experiments, DXM had surprisingly little effect on serum IGF-I concentrations. Here, we have examined the effect of DXM on hepatic insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) mRNA levels and on serum IGFBP-1 concentrations. After a single ip injection of DXM, 6 micrograms/100 g body wt, IGFBP-1 mRNA increased 2.24 +/- 0.25-fold, P less than 0.05 at 1 h and declined to normal levels in 6-12 h. A dose-dependent increase in increased hepatic IGFBP-1 mRNA abundance was seen in rats killed 1 h after an ip injection of DXM, 0.1 to 60 micrograms/100g body wt. As little as 1 microgram/100g body wt, significantly enhanced hepatic IGFBP-1 mRNA levels; 2.02- +/- 0.38-fold, P less than 0.05. This effect appeared to be post-transcriptional, since IGFBP-1 transcription in hepatic nuclei from rats treated with DXM was not significantly different from untreated rats. When DXM, 1 microgram/rat, was administered daily for 6 days a significant increase in IGFBP-1 mRNA was detected; 2.02 +/- 0.39-fold, P less than 0.05. A more marked increase was seen with 6 and 60 micrograms/rat of DXM; 4.47 +/- 1.08- and 10.61 +/- 0.31-fold, respectively. Serum was analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-plyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting using antisera raised against a synthetic peptide derived from the predicted sequence of rat IGFBP-1. The antisera recognized a doublet of approximately 30 kDa. A dose-dependent increase in the abundance of these BPs were seen in the serum from rats treated chronically with DXM. The observations reported here clearly demonstrate that DXM increases hepatic IGFBP-1 mRNA and serum IGFBP-1 concentrations. If IGFBP-1 functions to decrease the bioavailability of IGF-1 in vivo the enhanced expression of IGFBP-1 may be an additional mechanism whereby glucocorticoid excess results in growth retardation.