The differential regulation by glucagon and growth hormone of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding proteins in cultured rat hepatocytes.

The liver is a major site of production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding proteins (IGF-BPs). GH decisively influences IGF-I production. To study the role of GH and glucagon in the regulation of IGF-I and IGF-BP production, we examined IGF-I and IGF-BPs secreted by primary rat hepatocytes cultured in a serum-free medium. Glucagon (1 x 10(-8) M) stimulated IGF-I secretion and IGF-BP secretion. Bovine GH (bGH, 300 ng/ml) stimulated IGF-I secretion but suppressed IGF-BP secretion. Combining bGH and glucagon significantly augmented IGF-I secretion above the level seen with each individual agent. The inhibitory effect of bGH on IGF-BP secretion was reversed by glucagon. The major species of IGF-BPs secreted by hepatocytes were found, on Western ligand blotting, to be 24K and 30-34K. All species of secreted IGF-BPs appeared to be comparably affected by glucagon, bGH, and their combination. Northern analysis of IGF-I mRNA revealed three transcripts of 0.7-1.1 kilobases (kb), 1.8 kb, and 7.0 kb. Glucagon stimulated IGF-I mRNA levels 1.8- to 2.0-fold, whereas bGH stimulated IGF-I mRNA levels 2.0- to 2.5-fold. When hepatocytes were incubated with glucagon and bGH for 6 h, IGF-I mRNA levels were augmented 10-fold. Glucagon, in the presence of 50 ng/ml bGH, had a dose-dependent effect on IGF-I mRNA accumulation from a 6-fold level of stimulation at 50 ng/ml of glucagon to a 9-fold level of stimulation at 1000 ng/ml glucagon to a 9-fold level of stimulation at 1000 ng/ml glucagon. This study has demonstrated that glucagon, as well as GH, has significant effects on the production of both IGF-I and IGF-BPs. Of particular interest was the marked augmentation of hepatic IGF-I messenger RNA levels and the reversal of the low levels of IGF-BP production seen on adding glucagon to bGH.