Endotoxin administration decreases plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-binding protein-2 in Angus x Hereford steers independent of changes in nutritional intake.

Endotoxemia and sepsis cause severe shifts in metabolism towards catabolic events. The objective of the research was to determine whether endotoxin administration changes plasma concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in Angus x Hereford steers. In Experiment 1, mean feed intake in endotoxin-treated steers (n = 6) decreased 60% within the first 24 h after endotoxin and averaged, for the duration of the 96 h test period, an intake 35.5% lower than the mean ad libitum intake recorded prior to endotoxin. Plasma concentrations of IGF-I averaged 182 ng/ml in steers before endotoxin (E. coli, 055:B5, 0.2 micrograms/kg, i.v. bolus) and decreased an average of 24.2% at 24 to 96 h after endotoxin. In Experiment 2, a paired feeding strategy was used to determine whether the reduced feed intake was a significant factor in changing plasma concentrations of IGF-I and IGFBP-2 after endotoxin challenge. Steers were divided into endotoxin (0.2 micrograms/kg, i.v., n = 6) or control (saline, i.v., n = 3) treatments. Each of three endotoxin-treated steers was paired to a specific control. In this fashion, the adjusted feed intake of each endotoxin-treated steer was fed to it's paired control every 24 h through 96 h after endotoxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)