Effects of circulating igf-i on glucose and amino acid kinetics in the ovine fetus. Liechty, Edward A., David W. Boyle, Helen Moorehead, Wei-Hua Lee, Ronald R. Bowsher, and Scott C. Denne. Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine and Eli Lilly Research Laboratories, Indianapolis, IN 26202
APStracts 3:0060E, 1996.
To investigate the role of IGF-I in the regulation of fetal metabolism, the kinetics of leucine, phenylalanine and glucose were assessed in the chronically catheterized ovine fetus (0.85 gestation) before and during infusion of rhIGF-I. Substrate kinetics were determined by tracer dilution. rhIGF-I was infused at 6.7 nmol/kg fetus/hour. Fetal insulin and growth hormone concentrations were significantly decreased by 50% during rhIGF-I infusion. Net umbilical glucose uptake was unchanged and glucose rate of appearance increased in the fed state only. There were no changes in the net umbilical uptakes of leucine or phenylalanine, but the rates of appearance of both declined during rhIGF-I infusion, indicative of decreased fetal protein breakdown (RaLeu 45.4 +/- 1.40 to 40+/-1.4 [mu]mols/minute in the fed state, 43+/-1.5 to 37+/-1.5 in the fasted state; RaPhe 10.7+/-0.3 to 10.4+/-0.3 in the fed state and from 10.7+/-0.3 to 9.8+/-0.3 in the fasted). Leucine oxidation was also decreased (8.90+/-0.76 to 6.52+/-0.81,p=0.025), more so in the fasted than the fed state. These results indicate a significant antiproteolytic endocrine effect for IGF-I in the late gestation mammalian fetus.

Received 16 November 1995; accepted in final form 28 February
1996.
APS Manuscript Number E544-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 20 March 96