Tissue distribution and regulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-3 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in the rat: comparison with IGF-I mRNA expression.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is the most abundant IGFBP in rat and human sera. The present study demonstrates the expression of the rat IGFBP-3 gene in a large number of tissues and coexpression, but not necessarily equal expression, with IGF-I mRNA. Tissues with a major abundance of IGFBP-3 were kidney, antrum of stomach, placenta, uterus, and liver. Changes in hepatic and renal levels of IGFBP-3 mRNA were analyzed after hypophysectomy (with and without GH treatment) and in the developing postnatal rat. These results were compared to changes in IGF-I mRNA levels under the same physiological conditions. Using S1 nuclease analysis, IGFBP-3 mRNA was present in the kidney and liver of 1-day-old rats and rose significantly in both organs by week 1. Thereafter, levels remained relatively constant, particularly in the liver. This is in marked contrast to the hepatic IGF-I pattern, which showed a continual rise up to 8 weeks. Hepatic IGFBP-3 gene expression was partially GH dependent, with IGFBP-3 mRNA levels falling (approximately 50%) after hypophysectomy and rising slightly after GH treatment. These changes were much less dramatic than those in IGF-I mRNA. In contrast, the renal levels of IGFBP-3 mRNA increased after hypophysectomy, (approximately 100%), but did not decrease with GH treatment. These data suggest that IGFBP-3 mRNA abundance is regulated differently in different tissues, and in at least some tissues is less sensitive to regulation than is IGF-I mRNA.