scholarly journals Epidermal Homeostasis: The Role of the Growth Hormone and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Systems

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 737-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie R. Edmondson ◽  
Susan P. Thumiger ◽  
George A. Werther ◽  
Christopher J. Wraight

Abstract GH and IGF-I and -II were first identified by their endocrine activity. Specifically, IGF-I was found to mediate the linear growth-promoting actions of GH. It is now evident that these two growth factor systems also exert widespread activity throughout the body and that their actions are not always interconnected. The literature highlights the importance of the GH and IGF systems in normal skin homeostasis, including dermal/epidermal cross-talk. GH activity, sometimes mediated via IGF-I, is primarily evident in the dermis, particularly affecting collagen synthesis. In contrast, IGF action is an important feature of the dermal and epidermal compartments, predominantly enhancing cell proliferation, survival, and migration. The locally expressed IGF binding proteins play significant and complex roles, primarily via modulation of IGF actions. Disturbances in GH and IGF signaling pathways are implicated in the pathophysiology of several skin perturbations, particularly those exhibiting epidermal hyperplasia (e.g., psoriasis, carcinomas). Additionally, many studies emphasize the potential use of both growth factors in the treatment of skin wounds; for example, burn patients. This overview concerns the role and mechanisms of action of the GH and IGF systems in skin and maintenance of epidermal integrity in both health and disease.

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (2) ◽  
pp. R352-R361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Munetaka Shimizu ◽  
Kathleen A. Cooper ◽  
Walton W. Dickhoff ◽  
Brian R. Beckman

We examined postprandial changes in circulating growth hormone (GH), insulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in yearling coho salmon under different feeding regimes. Fish were initially fasted for 1 day, 1 wk, or 3 wk. Fasted fish were then fed, and blood was collected at 4-h intervals over 26 h. After the various periods of fasting, basal levels of insulin were relatively constant, whereas those of IGF-I, IGFBPs and GH changed in proportion to the duration of the fast. A single meal caused a rapid, large increase in the circulating insulin levels, but the degree of the increase was influenced by the fasting period. IGF-I showed a moderate increase 2 h after the meal but only in the regularly fed fish. Plasma levels of 41-kDa IGFBP were increased in all groups within 6 h after the single meal. The fasting period did not influence the response of 41-kDa IGFBP to the meal. IGFBP-1 and GH decreased after the meal to the same extent among groups regardless of the fasting period. The present study shows that insulin and IGF-I respond differently to long (weeks)- and short (hours)-term nutritional changes in salmon; insulin maintains its basal level but changes acutely in response to food intake, whereas IGF-I adjusts its basal levels to the long-term nutritional status and is less responsive to acute nutritional input. IGFBPs maintain their sensitivity to food intake, even after prolonged fasting, suggesting their critical role in the nutritional regulation of salmon growth.


1995 ◽  
Vol 308 (3) ◽  
pp. 865-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
S J Milner ◽  
G L Francis ◽  
J C Wallace ◽  
B A Magee ◽  
F J Ballard

The oxidative folding of human insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I yields two major disulphide folding isomers. In the present study, B-domain analogues of IGF-I were used to investigate the effect of mutations on the folding reaction and to investigate the functional implications of misfolding. The analogues used were substitutions of the native Glu3 by Gly or Arg, or the native Glu9 by Lys. IGF-I and these analogues were also prepared attached to a hydrophobic 13-amino-acid N-terminal extension, Met-Phe-Pro-Ala-Met-Pro-Leu-Ser-Ser-Leu-Phe-Val-Asn, referred to as ‘Long-IGF-I’ analogues. Each IGF was fully reduced and refolded to yield native and misfolded isomers, which were subsequently purified for biological characterization. Analysis of the folding reaction at equilibrium revealed a distribution of folding isomers characteristic for each peptide. The yield of the native disulphide folding isomer was increased for the Glu3 substitutions, but not for the Glu9 substitution. The main alternative folding isomer was present in the IGF-I analogues in reduced proportions. Except for [Gly3]IGF-I the N-terminal extension increased the yield of the native isomer which was maximal for the analogue Long-[Arg3]IGF-I. A folding intermediate for the latter analogue was isolated and partially characterized. The biological assays showed that all the main alternative isomers bound poorly to IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) secreted by L6 myoblasts. Moreover, these isomers bound to the type 1 IGF receptor with 0.5-25% the affinity of the native isomer. In a rat L6 myoblast protein-synthesis assay, the observed biological activity of the native and main alternative isomers was explained by their modified IGFBP- and receptor-binding properties. We propose that the N-terminal extension imparts a steric constraint at a crucial point in folding, thus allowing native disulphide bonds to form efficiently.


1993 ◽  
Vol 293 (3) ◽  
pp. 713-719 ◽  
Author(s):  
G L Francis ◽  
S E Aplin ◽  
S J Milner ◽  
K A McNeil ◽  
F J Ballard ◽  
...  

Recombinant insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) and two structural analogues, des(1-6)IGF-II and [Arg6]-IGF-II, were produced to investigate the role of N-terminal residues in binding to IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) and hence the biological properties of the modified peptides. The growth factors were modelled on two previously characterized variants of IGF-I, des(1-3)IGF-I and [Arg3]-IGF-I, which both show substantially decreased binding to IGFBPs and were expressed as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. The biological activities of the corresponding analogues of IGF-I and IGF-II were compared in rat L6 myoblasts and H35B hepatoma cells. In the L6-myoblast protein-synthesis assay, the IGF-II analogues, des(1-6)IGF-II and [Arg6]-IGF-II, were slightly more potent than IGF-II but about 10-fold less potent than IGF-I and 100-fold less potent than the respective IGF-I analogues, des(1-3)IGF-I and [Arg3]IGF-I. In H35 hepatoma cells the anabolic response measured was the inhibition of protein breakdown, and the potency order was insulin >>> [Arg3]-IGF-I > des(1-3)IGF-I > [Arg6]-IGF-II > des(1-6)IGF-II > IGF-I > IGF-II. Binding of the IGFs and their analogues to the type 1 IGF receptor in L6 myoblasts and to the insulin receptor in H35 hepatoma cells did not fully explain the observed anabolic potency differences. Moreover, binding of all four analogues to the IGFBPs secreted by L6 myoblasts and H35B hepatoma cells was greatly decreased compared with the parent IGF. We conclude that the observed anabolic response to each IGF was determined by their relative binding to the competing cell receptor and IGFBP binding sites present.


1997 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin G. Scanes ◽  
Robert C. Thommes ◽  
Steven V. Radecki ◽  
Frances C. Buonomo ◽  
James E. Woods

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