| his study was conducted to determine the effects of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) on fetal and postnatal circulating insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, circulating insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) levels, IGFBP exchangeable sites, and hepatic IGF-2, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 mRNA expression in swine. Serum and liver tissue samples were collected from control and IUGR piglets at 90 days (d) of gestation, birth, 21 and 49 d of age. IUGR piglets were defined as weighing less than 67% of the average litter weight and less than 900 grams at birth, or less than 75% of the average litter weight at 90 d of gestation. No significant differences were observed between IUGR and control serum blood glucose levels, serum IGF-1 levels, or IGFBP free sites. Using the ligand blotting technique, five IGFBPs of molecular weights 43, 39, 34, 29 and 24 kD were identified. The 29 kD IGFBP was significantly elevated (P... |
