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A Hoeflich

Publications and source records attributed to A Hoeflich.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and the IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate receptor: the myth continues.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is a polypeptide hormone with structural and functional homology with IGF-I and pro-insulin. It is now thought that IGF-II acts as a growth factor during fetal life and development. In rats, IGF-II levels in the circulation are high in the fetus and decline rapidly after birth. IGF-II mRNA expression in many tissues including the liver and the choroid plexus is also high during fetal life and low thereafter. Targeted disruption of the IGF-II gene in mice leads to a deficiency in their growth. Alternatively, it has been proposed that IGF-II could act as a growth and differentiation factor in the central nervous system. Administration of IGF-II into the central nervous system in rats leads to increased food intake and altered feeding behaviour. In muscle cells and in colon epithelial cells, IGF-II might also serve as an important regulator of differentiation. A key role for IGF-II as a paracrine or autocrine growth factor in certain tumours has been proposed. The IGFs exert their effects by binding to high-affinity membrane receptors that are expressed in many cells and tissues. The IGF-I receptor, which binds IGF-I with the highest affinity and which is very similar to the insulin receptor, is thought to mediate most, if not all, of the IGF-induced biological functions. The IGF-II/mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) receptor is a bifunctional glycoprotein with no homology to the insulin receptor. This receptor binds IGF-II and lysosomal enzymes bearing the M6P recognition marker at distinct binding sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Human IM-9 lymphoblasts as a model of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis: gene expression, and interactions of ligands with receptors and binding proteins.

Human IM-9 lymphoblasts bind growth hormone (hGH) and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). We have systematically examined the IM-9 cells as a valuable model of the interaction of hGH and the IGFs at the cellular level. Cells were cultured in medium with 10% serum and for a subset of experiments cultured in serum-free medium. Binding of [125I]hGH and [125I]IGF-I and -II to intact IM-9 cells was measured: unlabeled hGH inhibited binding of [125I]hGH (half max. 20 ng/ml). Binding of [125I]IGF-I was inhibited by IGF-I (half max. 7.5 ng/ml), IGF-II (half max. 60 ng/ml), and insulin and anti IGF-I receptor antibody (alpha IR3). [125I]IGF-II was inhibited by IGF-II (half max. 15 ng/ml), IGF-I (half max. 500 ng/ml), insulin (half max. 250 ng/ml) but not by alpha IR3. Crosslinking experiments with [125I]IGF-II and DSS as the crosslinking agent and analysis of radioligand-receptor complexes by SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions revealed that [125I]IGF-II bound to a 250 kDa and a 135 kDa receptor species. The latter possibly represents an insulin-type receptor whereas the 250 kDa species had the characteristics of the IGF-II/M6P receptor. When IM-9 cell conditioned medium was analyzed in ligand blotting experiments with either [125I]IGF-I or -II a 30 kDa IGFBP species was detected on the autoradiographs. Also, IGF-II immunoreactivity (approx. 1 ng/ml medium) was measured in the cell conditioned medium using an IGF-BP blocked RIA employing [125I]IGF-II. In a subset of experiments IM-9 cells were homogenized in 4 M guanidinium-thiocyanate and RNA extracted in 5.7 M CsCl. Denatured RNA was electrophoresed on 0.8% agarose gels and transferred to a nylon membrane, fixed and the blots hybridized with cDNA probes. Probes were labeled with [32P]dCTP using a random prime labeling procedure: a Pst I 700 bp fragment of the human IGF-I cDNA, a 554 bp Pst I-Sal I fragment of the IGF-II cDNA, a 614 bp Pst I fragment of the IGF-I receptor cDNA and a 663 bp Pst I fragment of the IGF-II/M6P receptor. Autoradiographs of Northern blots showed specific hybridization with the IGF-I probe at 3.7 kb and with the IGF-II probe at 5.3 kb. No signal was detected with the IGF-I receptor cDNA probe. Hybridization with the IGF-II/M6P receptor probe yielded a 9 kb RNA species.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Binding, Competitive↗

Increased activity of catalase in tumor cells overexpressing IGFBP-2.

Elevated levels of IGFBP-2 are found in serum and tissues under various stressful conditions and in many malignancies. In previous studies, we have shown that overexpression of IGFBP-2 results in increased tumorigenic potential in Y-1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells, and that these effects are presumably mediated through IGF-independent mechanisms. Here, we show that highly proliferative IGFBP-2-overexpressing Y-1 cells, but not control Y-1 cells, grow to very high cell densities. In order to evaluate whether the increased cell densities in IGFBP-2-transfected Y-1 cells were accompanied by alterations in the oxidative stress system, we analyzed the effect of IGFBP-2 overexpression on the activity of various antioxidative enzymes in two malignant cell lines. Among the tested antioxidative enzymes (catalase, superoxide-dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase), only catalase enzyme activity was significantly higher in IGFBP-2-transfected Y-1 mouse adrenocortical tumor cells and in IGFBP-2-transfected human colon tumor cells (Caco-2) compared to control-transfected Y-1 and Caco-2 cells and non-tumor 293 human epithelial cells. However, overexpression of catalase in malignant cells did not result in increased resistance to oxidative stress as measured by cell viability and protein oxidation after treatment of the cells with hydrogen peroxide. This might be due to an upregulation of the GST enzyme activity after treatment with H (2)O (2) that we observed selectively in the control-transfected Y-1 cells and which might compensate for the higher catalase activity in the IGFBP-2 overexpressing cells. In summary, we found a strong and selective upregulation of the catalase activity in IGFBP-2 overexpressing malignant Y-1 and Caco-2 cell lines that might contribute to the highly malignant phenotype of IGFBP-2 overexpressing tumors through as yet unknown mechanisms.

Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms↗

Differential autocrine regulation of intestine epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation by insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system components.

The mechanisms which regulate cell turnover in the intestinal epithelium are incompletely understood. The present study was performed to characterize the role of autocrine IGF system components in intestine epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation comparing rapidly growing crypt cells (IEC-6) with differentiating enterocytes (CaCo-2). The autocrine release of IGF-I, IGF-II and IGFBP-1 through -3 was determined by specific RIAs and western ligand blotting. In addition, binding and growth-promoting activity of insulin, IGF-I and IGF-II was investigated. Enterocytic differentiation was assessed by measuring the brush-border enzymes alkaline phosphatase and sucrase. During IEC-6 growth, the autocrine release of IGF-I and -II increased, whereas IGFBP-2 levels decreased. Specific receptors for IGF-I and IGF-II but not insulin could be detected. IGF-I was 100-fold more potent than insulin to stimulate IEC-6 cell proliferation. In contrast, CaCo-2 cells revealed higher binding of insulin than IGF-I/-II and no release of IGF-I. At switch from CaCo-2 cell proliferation to differentiation a marked increase in the secretion of IGF-II (10-fold), IGFBP-1 (2.5-fold), IGFBP-2 (3-fold), and IGFBP-3 (6-fold) was measured. Our data indicate that IGF system components differentially modulate enterocytic cell proliferation and differentiation.

Animals↗

Objectively measured sperm motility and sperm head morphometry in boars (Sus scrofa): relation to fertility and seminal plasma growth factors.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationships between results of computer-assisted semen analysis (spermatozoal motility and sperm head morphometry) and fertility of boars. In addition, concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II in seminal plasma were determined. The nonreturn rate (NRR) and the number of live-born piglets were compatible with the requirements of artificial insemination for all boars included in this study. Semen samples of 12 boars (Pietrain; 3 ejaculates each) were evaluated for spermatozoal motility and sperm head dimensions using computer-assisted methods. Native semen samples were centrifuged, and seminal plasma was frozen at -20 degrees C until assayed for IGF-I and IGF-II by specific radioimmunoassays. Spermatozoa of boars with a higher NRR (>86%) had a significantly slower average velocity of motile spermatozoa when compared with that of boars with an NRR below 86%. High-fertility boars (NRR > 86%) had significantly smaller sperm heads than did boars with an NRR below 86%, and their sperm heads were less elongated. Substantial concentrations of IGF-I (8.4-22.2 ng/mL) and IGF-II (12.1-19.8 ng/mL) could be measured in porcine seminal plasma; however, there was no correlation between IGF levels and semen parameters or individual fertility.

Animals↗