IGF-I 30-41

Six somatomedin-like peptides were purified from human plasma Cohn fraction IV by a six-step procedure which included ethanol precipitation, reversed-phase extraction, gel filtration, chromatofocusing and reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Purification was monitored with a competitive protein binding assay using a crude preparations of somatomedin carrier protein. The peptides isolated were homogeneous by reversed-phase HPLC and sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Their apparent isoelectric points determined by chromatofocusing were 9.2 (Sm I), (Sm II), 8.2 (Sm III), 6.7 (Sm IV), 6.3 (Sm V), and 6.15 (Sm VI). SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions revealed that they are composed of a single peptide chain with apparent molecular weights of 6800 for Sm I, II and IV and 6400 for Sm III, V, and VI. They were equally potent in the porcine costal cartilage in vitro bioassay. The basic peptides (Sm I-III) were significantly more active in radioimmunoassays for somatomedin C (SmC) and insulin-like growth factor I C-peptide (IGF-I (30 - 41], while only the slightly acidic peptides were active in a radioimmunoassay for insulin-like growth factor II C-peptide (IGF-II (33-40]. When receptor binding was tested with human placental cell membranes and Sm III as tracer, the basic peptides were significantly more potent than Sm IV-VI. With rat liver cell membranes and Sm V as tracer the slightly acidic peptides were more potent. These findings suggest 1) that human plasma may contain other somatomedin-like peptides besides the major components IGF-I/SmC and IGF-II, and 2) that the basic peptides are structurally related to IGF-I/SmC and the slightly acidic peptides are related to IGF-II.

Longitudinal growth is primarily influenced by the GH-IGF-I axis, which is a mixed endocrine-paracrine-autocrine system. Further, classical hormones such as thyroxine, glucocorticosteroids and sex steroids play a role, as well as primarily paracrine systems. In the GH-IGF-I axis, seven disorders can be differentiated: (1) GH deficiency; (2) GHR defects; (3) defects in the GH signal transduction pathway; (4) IGF1 defects; (5) IGFALS defects; (6) IGF1R defects, and (7) IGF2 defects. Children with one of the first 3 disorders have near-normal prenatal growth, while children with defects of IGF1, IGF1R or IGF2 show prenatal as well as postnatal growth retardation. Hypothyroidism or a thyroid hormone resistance cause growth failure, but the effect of hyperthyroidism on growth is modest. Hypercortisolism causes poor growth, while FGD caused by ACTH insensitivity is associated with tall stature. Increased sex steroids in childhood cause advanced growth but even more skeletal maturation, so that adult height is decreased. Finally, the paracrine-autocrine SHOX-BNP pathway and the related CNP-NPR2 pathway are also involved in growth, as very many other growth factors and their receptors and mediators.