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Endocrine Abstracts (2016) 41 EP709B | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.41.EP709B

1Department Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 2AgResearch Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand; 3Department of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 4Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 5Department of O&G, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; 6Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.


Background: Impaired Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) function is associated with obesity and hypertension, but the correlation of circulating IGF-1 with these conditions is weak. As a metabolite of IGF-1, the ratio of cGP/IGF-1 regulates IGF-1 bioavailability and may be a more accurate biomarker of IGF-1 function in obesity and hypertension.

Methods: Using ELISA and HPLCms methodologies, we analysed plasma concentration of IGF-1, cGP and IGFBP-3 in 40 women that grouped as non-obese+normotensive, obese+normotensive; non-obese+hypotensive and obese+hypertensive at both 15 weeks gestation and 6 years post-partum of first pregnancy. Only post-partum samples were analysed in hypotensive women. We also analysed the samples from a further 20 women that either were obese during first pregnancy or became non-obese 6 years post-partum or vice versa.

Results: At 6 years post-partum: plasma IGF-1 levels were lower among obese (P=0.001) groups; cGP (P=0.043) and IGFBP-3 (P=0.046) was lower among hypertensive groups; cGP/IGF-1 ratio was no difference among hypotension groups but higher among obese (P=0.005) groups. In the paired samples at 15 weeks gestation and 6 years post-partum: the change in plasma IGF-1 was lower in the groups that changed from being obese to normal (P=0.004) and that remained to be obese (P=0.018) compared to non-obese controls. Compared to normal control group, group with weight loss after pregnancy had an increase in cGP/IGF-1 ratio (P=0.01) and a decrease in IGFBP-3 (P=0.0001); the group that gained weight had a decrease in IGFBP-3 (P=0.03), but no change in cGP/IGF-1 ratio and the group remained to be obese had an increase in cGP/IGF-1 ratio (P=0.006), but no changes in IGFBP-3.

Conclusions: Increase in cGP/IGF-1 ratio is observed in obesity but not hypertension. The collective responses of reduced IGFBP-3 and increased cGP/IGF-1 ratio may be essential to weight loss.

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