Left ventricular insulin-like growth factor I increases in early renal hypertension

Increasing interest has been directed toward the possible role of trophically acting molecules as modulators or initiators, or both, of myocardial hypertrophy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible role of one such molecule, namely, insulin-like growth factor I, in myocardial hypertrophy developed in response to renal artery stenosis. Two-kidney, one clip Goldblatt hypertension was induced in Wistar rats weighing 180 g, and sham-operated animals were used as controls. Blood pressure was increased as early as 2 days after clipping (133 +/- 4 versus 116 +/- 4 mm Hg, p less than 0.05), and the increase persisted 4 and 7 days after clipping (148 +/- 6 versus 129 +/- 3 mm Hg, p less than 0.01 and 171 +/- 5 versus 139 +/- 3 mm Hg, p less than 0.01, respectively). Left ventricular weight followed a similar pattern (373 +/- 7 versus 350 +/- 8 mg, NS, 415 +/- 11 versus 386 +/- 9 mg, p less than 0.01, and 466 +/- 11 versus 391 +/- 10 mg, p less than 0.01 at 2, 4, and 7 days after clipping, respectively), but no changes in body weight between the groups were observed. Insulin-like growth factor I messenger RNA (mRNA) was quantified using a solution hybridization assay. After 4 days of renal hypertension, there was a significant increase in left ventricular insulin-like growth factor I mRNA (2.0 x 10(-18) +/- 0.48 x 10(-18) versus 0.4 x 10(-18) +/- 0.07 x 10(-18) mol.microgram DNA-1), which was no longer detectable 7 days after clipping.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)