A study of serum insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in resting untrained Andalusian horses: influence of age and gender
2011
Munoz, A.,University of Cordoba (Spain). School of Veterinary Medicine | Trigo, P.,University of Cordoba (Spain). School of Veterinary Medicine | Riber, C.,University of Cordoba (Spain). School of Veterinary Medicine | Malonda, V.,Equine Clinician, Valencia (Spain) | Castejon, F.,University of Cordoba (Spain). School of Veterinary Medicine
The present study analyzes the influence of age and sex on serum insulin-like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in a population of 255 Andalusian horses (141 females and 114 males) divided into age groups as follows: 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, 5-6 and 6-12 months and 1-2, 2-4, 4-6, 6-10 and 10-14 years. The animals belonged to six different farms located in the same geographic location and were subjected to similar feeding and management protocols. Two measurements of body size were made: height at the withers (HW) and diameter of the thorax (DTx). Blood samples were taken always in the morning in the month of July and serum IGF-1 concentrations were measured with a sandwich ELISA after dissociation of IGF-1 from its binding proteins. Age and sex significantly influenced serum IGF-1 concentrations, whereas the effects of the farm and the time of blood withdrawal were not significant. Mean serum concentrations for both males and females, respectively, were as follows: 246.3 and 231.0 (1-2 months), 201.9 and 194.7 (2-3 months), 174.2 and 170.4 (3-4 months), 161.7 and 155.4 (4-5 months), 166.1 and 136.9 (5-6 months), 127.2 and 114.5 (6-12 months), 103.3 and 89.01 (1-2 years), 104.3 and 73.41 (2-4 years), 105.4 and 64.40 (4-6 years), 53.29 and 68.27 (6-10 years) and 59.56 and 65.53 ng/mL (10-14 years). A progressive decrease in serum IGF-1 concentrations with increased age was found for both sexes. Males aged between five and 12 months and between two and six years had significantly higher serum IGF-1 concentrations than females of the same age. Coefficients of correlation between the indicators of body size (HW and DTx) and IGF-1 were -0.800 and -0.690 for the whole population of Andalusian horses, -0.860 and -0.750 for the males and -0.740 and -630 for the females. It is concluded that serum IGF-1 concentrations in Andalusian horses are reduced with ageing, male horses of determined age groups had higher IGF-1 than the females and there are negative correlations between body size and IGF-1 concentrations. The knowledge of the normal serum IGF-1 concentrations will help us to understand the role of the somatotrophic axis in several diseases and physiological situations and will provide information for further research on this equine breed.
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