Gene expression of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), the type 1 IGF receptor, and IGF-binding proteins in dexamethasone-induced fetal growth retardation.

Altered gene expression and/or actions of the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been implicated in the mediation of both pre- and postnatal growth retardation secondary to glucocorticoid excess. To investigate this possibility, we assessed the gene expression of the IGFs, the type I IGF receptor, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in 20-day gestation liver and lung of growth-retarded fetuses whose mothers were treated with dexamethasone (DXM; 100 micrograms, ip, daily) on gestation days 15-19 (gestation = 21-22 days). DXM treatment in dams produced fetal growth retardation without decreasing litter size (32% decrease in fetal body weight). Both fetal liver and lung demonstrated decreased wet weight (48% and 47%, respectively) and DNA content (65% and 51%, respectively) compared to control animals. Our results suggest that increased expression of IGFBP-1, and possibly IGFBP-2, is involved in mediating the marked growth retardation. As assessed by solution hybridization assays and Northern blot analysis, there was an 8.5-fold increase in IGFBP-1 mRNA expression in the livers of DXM-treated fetal animals compared to that in sham-injected controls (P less than 0.002). IGFBP-2 mRNA expression was also increased (60%) in fetal liver, whereas IGFBP-3 was decreased (57%). In fetal lung, IGFBP-1 transcript abundance was also higher in DXM-treated fetal animals. Serum concentrations of IGFBP-1, but not those of IGFBP-2, were increased (approximately 4-fold) in the DXM-treated fetuses, as quantified by [125I]IGF-I ligand blotting and IGFBP-2 immunoblotting. Because hypoinsulinemia increases the expression of IGFBP-1 and -2, serum insulin concentrations were measured and found to be decreased in the DXM-treated fetuses (24 microU/ml) compared to control values (72 microU/ml). Analysis of mRNA expression for IGF-I, IGF-II, and the type 1 receptor transcripts did not support a role for decreased IGF or IGF receptor expression in the etiology of DXM-mediated growth retardation. IGF-I was unchanged in both liver and lung, and IGF-II transcripts were increased by 31% in liver and unchanged in lung of DXM-treated fetal animals. Northern analysis of hepatic and lung poly(A) RNA demonstrated no evidence for independent regulation of specific-sized IGF transcripts. Further, type 1 IGF receptor RNA abundance increased 42% in fetal liver and was unchanged in lung. Because IGFBPs may modulate IGF action, these results suggest that increased IGFBP-1, and possibly IGFBP-2, expression may be of importance in the etiology of DXM-induced fetal growth retardation.