Administration of bovine, porcine and equine growth hormone to the horse: effect on insulin-like growth factor-I and selected IGF binding proteins.
Abstract: This study investigated the biochemical effects of administration of three types of recombinant growth hormone (GH; somatotropin) to the Thoroughbred horse. Equine or bovine or porcine GH was administered at a recommended dosage to 3-5-year old Thoroughbred geldings, for up to 21 days. It was shown that, in addition to equine GH, bovine and porcine GH were active in the horse; however, porcine GH caused injection-site reactions that were so serious that administration had to be terminated. The concentrations of a range of GH-related serum protein markers were determined before, during and after the administration period. Because of the short half-life of GH itself, the objective was to identify GH-related markers that showed changes in concentration and which could be used as indicators of the abuse of these hormones. Among the possible markers identified, serum total insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I was shown to be the most promising, increasing to 270% of the basal concentration for equine GH administration. After GH administration, IGF-I took longer to attain baseline concentrations than the time required for GH concentrations to recover to normal. The concentration obtained from the administration significantly exceeded natural concentrations for IGF-I, as was determined from a population of more than 2000 Thoroughbred horses in three continents. The concentrations of serum free IGF-I and IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) were also shown to be significantly affected by equine and bovine GH.
Publication Date: 2001-09-27 PubMed ID: 11572800DOI: 10.1677/joe.0.1710163Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article discusses a study conducted on Thoroughbred horses to investigate the effects of administering different types of growth hormone, specifically equine, bovine, and porcine. The aim of the research was to identify potential markers that could indicate the misuse of these hormones in horses, with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) emerging as the most promising.
Methodology and Outcome of the Research
- The study featured bio-medical experiments conducted on Thoroughbred geldings, aged between 3 and 5 years. The horses were administered with equine, bovine or porcine variants of recombinant growth hormone (GH) at doses recommended by experts.
- Porcine GH administration resulted in severe injection-site reactions in the horses, and thus, it had to be concluded ahead of schedule.
- The outcomes of this treatment with the different types of GHs were monitored by examining the serum concentration of several protein markers associated with GH. Specifically, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) was found to be a promising marker, showing an increase up to 270% of the base concentration after administration of equine GH.
- IGF-I was found to take a longer time to return to base concentration than GH itself, indicating that an elevated concentration of IGF-I could be a good marker to detect the abuse of GHs.
Significance of the Findings
- The finding that porcine GH induced severe injection site reactions suggests it is not a suitable treatment option in horses.
- The discovery of a potential new marker, IGF-I to indicate GH misuse is a major contribution of this research paper.
- The potential use of IGF-I as a GH administration indicator extends beyond Thoroughbred geldings, potentially being applicable to a variety of horses and other equine species as well.
- The research also provides significant insight on the behavior of specific proteins, like IGF-I and IGFBP-3, in response to GH administration in Thoroughbred horses, which might prove useful in understanding the biological mechanism of action and regulation of growth hormones.
Observations Beyond the Study Population
- Importantly, from a population of over 2000 Thoroughbred horses across three continents, it was observed that the concentration of IGF-I resulting from GH administration significantly exceeded normal natural concentrations.
Cite This Article
APA
De Kock SS, Rodgers JP, Swanepoel BC, Guthrie AJ.
(2001).
Administration of bovine, porcine and equine growth hormone to the horse: effect on insulin-like growth factor-I and selected IGF binding proteins.
J Endocrinol, 171(1), 163-171.
https://doi.org/10.1677/joe.0.1710163 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- The Laboratory of the Jockey Club of Southern Africa, PO Box 74439, Turffontein 2140, South Africa.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Biomarkers / blood
- Cattle
- Growth Hormone / pharmacology
- Horses / metabolism
- Human Growth Hormone / pharmacology
- Immunoradiometric Assay
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 / blood
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / blood
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / metabolism
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / analysis
- Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / metabolism
- Male
- Orchiectomy
- Random Allocation
- Species Specificity
- Swine
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Marques-Smith P, Kallerud AS, Johansen GM, Boysen P, Jacobsen AM, Reitan KM, Henriksen MM, Löfgren M, Fjordbakk CT. Is clinical effect of autologous conditioned serum in spontaneously occurring equine articular lameness related to ACS cytokine profile?. BMC Vet Res 2020 Jun 8;16(1):181.
- Baskerville CL, Bamford NJ, Harris PA, Bailey SR. Comparison and validation of ELISA assays for plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 in the horse.. Open Vet J 2017;7(1):75-80.
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