Does exogenous testosterone rise the IGF levels?

[maxtrin]

or not?

[Kratos]

2003: Kaaks R; Lukanova A; Rinaldi S; Biessy C; Söderberg S; Olsson T; Stenman U-H; Riboli E; Hallmans G; Stattin P
Interrelationships between plasma testosterone , SHBG, IGF-I, insulin and leptin in prostate cancer cases and controls.
European journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP) 2003;12(4):309-15.


Testosterone effect on growth and growth mediators of the GH-IGF-I axis in the liver and epiphyseal growth plate of juvenile rats
A Zung, M Phillip, SA Chalew, T Palese, AA Kowarski, and Z Zadik



Several studies have suggested that testosterone may have a direct, GH-independent effect on growth. In order to assess possible mechanism(s) whereby testosterone exerts its growth-promoting effect, we evaluated its effect on growth mediators of the GH-IGF-I axis, in both the liver and the epiphyseal growth plate (EGP). Testosterone was administered to peripubertal rats and the responses of mRNA of GH receptor, IGF-I, IGF-I receptor and IGF-binding proteins-1 and -3 (IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3) as well as circulating IGF-I were evaluated in two time-related models: over 12 h after a single injection (short-term study) and 10 days after continuous administration (long-term study). Rats in the short-term study were castrated and were killed 1, 4, 6 and 12 h post injection. Rats in the long-term study were divided into two groups: castrated vs castrated and hypophysectomized, in order to assess the effect of testosterone in the presence and absence of GH. mRNA levels were determined by RNase protection assay, and serum IGF-I by RIA. Testosterone enhanced weight gain in the rats treated for 10 days, a change that was similar in the presence or absence of GH. This effect was relatively small, however, by comparison with the total weight gained without testosterone. Testosterone had no effect on hepatic IGF-I mRNA abundance but induced a reduction in circulating IGF-I levels, in both the short- and long-term study. Testosterone had no effect on hepatic GH receptor and IGFBP-3 mRNA levels but resulted in a transient, short-term elevation in IGFBP-1 mRNA levels that was maximal 4 h post injection.In the EGP, neither testosterone administration nor hypophysectomy had any effect on IGF-I and IGF-I receptor mRNA levels. However, testosterone increased GH receptor mRNA abundance after 10 days of continuous administration in hypophysectomized rats only.These data suggest that the effect of testosterone on growth (as assessed by weight gain) is small and is not mediated by changes in hepatic gene expression of IGF-I, IGF-I receptor, IGFBP-1, IGFBP-3 or circulating IGF-I. At the EGP, the testosterone effect on linear growth is not mediated through changes in mRNA abundance of IGF-I and IGF-I receptor. The small but significant elevation of GH receptor mRNA levels in hypophysectomized rats may suggest a testosterone-mediated augmentation of a GH effect at the target organ.




Despite strong indirect evidence that androgens stimulate prostate cancer development, data from most analytical studies on this association have been negative. To further investigate this issue, we studied the interrelationships between androgenicity and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin and leptin. Within a prospective cohort study, we measured testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and IGF-I, IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-1, IGFBP-3, insulin and leptin, in plasma from 149 cases and 298 controls. Testosterone correlated positively with SHBG, whereas testosterone and SHBG correlated inversely with IGF-I, IGFBP-3, insulin, leptin and body mass index (BMI). Indices of free testosterone showed an inverse linear correlation with leptin (P<0.01), and a strong drop in the 5th quintile of BMI. However, levels of free testosterone showed non-linear relationships over quintiles of insulin and IGF-I, with a significant increase in the second quintile of IGF-I compared with other levels. The absence of an association between plasma levels of androgens and prostate cancer risk in analytical studies, despite the strong indirect evidence of their tumour-stimulating effects, may reflect the complex and mostly inverse associations of androgenicity to IGF-I, insulin and leptin which are hormones that have also been implicated as risk factors for prostate cancer.

[Kratos]

not likely much if any, tren does