Abstract
Plasma clearance of insulin-like growth factors-I and -II (IGF-I and -II) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) from lactating goats (n=4) was determined following a single intravenous injection of the corresponding 125I-labelled human protein. Transfer of these proteins out of the vascular space was monitored by their subsequent appearance in mammary-derived lymph and milk. Clearance of 125I-IGFBP-2 from circulation was 0·37 ± 0·06 ml/min/kg, which is markedly greater than that of 125I-IGF-I or -II (0·11 ± and 0·12 ± 0·01 ml/min/kg respectively). This was also reflected in longer elimination half-lives for IGF-I (353 ± 6 min) and -II (254 ± 8 min) compared with IGFBP-2 (110 ± 9 min). Three hours after injection of the 125I-labelled protein, the plasma:lymph ratio of trichloroacetic acid-precipitable radioactivity was 1·54 ±0·04, 3·3 ±0·6 and 4·1 ±0·4 for IGFBP-2, IGF-I and -II respectively. The form of 125I-IGFBP-2 in lymph was not different from that of plasma. Elevation of plasma concentrations of IGFBP-2 by its intravenous infusion significantly decreased plasma half-life of both IGF-I and -II (251 ± 8 and 198 ±7 min respectively). Although the amount and rate of transfer of IGF into mammary-derived lymph was decreased slightly by IGFBP-2, concentrations eventually obtained were not different from control. However, secretion of IGFs into milk was significantly reduced by IGFBP-2, particularly in the case of IGF-I. These results are consistent with the ability of all three compounds to cross the vascular endothelium intact and of IGFBP-2 to decrease the uptake of IGF by mammary epithelium and subsequent secretion into milk. IGFBP-2 may well have acted to target plasma IGF towards non-mammary tissues, thus explaining the more rapid plasma clearance of IGFs in the presence of elevated IGFBP-2.
Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 150, 121–127
Transferrin binds insulin-like growth factors and affects binding properties of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3
