Volume 90, Issue 5, November (2003), pp. 929-937 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003974

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Effect of insulin-like growth factor-I on nitrogen balance and intestinal galactose transport in rats with moderate liver cirrhosis

Marina Núñez^1,2, Elena Urdaneta³, Santiago Santidrián^1
1Department of Human Physiology and
²Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
³Department of Natural Sciences, School of Agronomy, Public University of Navarra, 31006 Pamplona, Spain

 (Received 24 January 2003–Revised 23 June 2003–Accepted 14 July 2003)

The malnutrition caused by liver cirrhosis (LC) often worsens the course of the disease. Patients affected by LC often have a low bioavailability of the anabolic liver peptide insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of low doses of IGF-I on the nutritional status and in vivo jejunal transport of d-galactose in anatomically, pathologically and biochemically confirmed moderate, non-ascitic, cirrhotic rats. LC was experimentally induced in growing rats by inhalation of CCl₄ and addition of phenobarbital to drinking water. Both the nutritional status, as evaluated by N balance, and in vivo intestinal transport of d-galactose, were significantly impaired in cirrhotic rats. As compared with healthy rats, administration of 20 μg human recombinant IGF-I/kg body weight for 14 d to cirrhotic rats significantly improved N balance variables and restored in vivo intestinal transport of the sugar. However, IGF-I had no effect on the steatorrhoea associated with LC. These results suggest that low doses of IGF-I may have beneficial effects on the malnutrition associated with moderate LC.

Keywords:
Cirrhosis, Insulin-like growth factor-I, Nitrogen balance, Intestinal absorption

Abbreviations:
BW, body weight, CO, control group, CI, cirrhotic group, IGF, insulin-like growth factor, LC, liver cirrhosis, Phen, phenobarbital