Autocrine IGF-1 action in adipocytes controls systemic IGF-1 concentrations and growth
- Nora Klöting, PhD1,
- Linda Koch2,
- Thomas Wunderlich, PhD2,
- Matthias Kern1,
- Karen Ruschke, PhD1,
- Wilhelm Krone, MD3,
- Jens C. Brüning, MD (jens.bruening{at}uni-koeln.de)2 and
- Matthias Blüher, MD (bluma{at}medizin.uni-leipzig.de)1,,3
- 1Department of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- 2Department of Mouse Genetics and Metabolism, Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
- 3Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Cologne and Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Cologne, Germany
Abstract
Objective: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) have been implicated in the regulation of adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in vitro.
Research Design and Methods: To investigate the role of IGF-1 receptor in vivo, we have inactivated the IGF-1 receptor gene in adipose tissue (IGF-1RaP2Cre mice) using conditional gene targeting strategies.
Results: Conditional IGF-1R inactivation resulted in increased adipose tissue mass with a predominantly increased lipid accumulation in epigonadal fat pads. However, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into adipocytes was unaffected by the deletion of the IGF-1R. Surprisingly, IGF-1RaP2Cre mice exhibited markedly increased somatic growth in the presence of elevated IGF-1 serum concentrations and IGF-1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in liver and adipose tissue. IGF-1 stimulation of wild type adipocytes significantly decreased IGF-1 mRNA expression, while the opposite effect was obeserved in IGF-1R deficient adipocytes.
Conclusions: IGF-1 receptor signaling in adipocytes does not appear to be crucial for the development and differentiation of adipose tissue in vivo, but we identified a negative IGF-1 receptor-mediated feedback mechanism of IGF-1 on its own gene expression in adipocytes, indicating an unexpected role for adipose tissue IGF-1 signaling in the regulation of IGF-1 serum concentrations in control of somatic growth.
Footnotes
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- Received October 29, 2007.
- Accepted April 22, 2008.
- Copyright © American Diabetes Association











