Effects of IGF-I treatment on osteopenia in rats with advanced liver cirrhosis

IGF-I is an anabolic hormone which has been reported to increase bone formationin several conditions of undernutrition. Advanced liver cirrhosis is associatedwith osteopenia and also with low serum levels of IGF-I. Previous results showed that low doses of IGF-I increase osteoblastic activity and decrease bonereabsorption in early liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluatewhether IGF-I-treatment also induces beneficial effect on osteopenia associatedwith advanced cirrhosis. Rats with ascitic cirrhosis were divided into twogroups: group CI (n=10) which received saline and group CI+IGF (n=10) which were treated with IGF-I (2 microg/100 g bw x day, sc, during 21 days). Healthycontrols which received saline were studied in parallel (CO n=10). On the 22ndday, the animals were sacrificed, and bone parameters were analyzed in femur.Posterior-anterior diameter was similar in all groups. No significant differenceswere observed in bone content of calcium, total proteins, collagen andhydroxyapatite in cirrhotic rats as compared with controls. However, CI ratsshowed significant reductions in total bone density (-13.5%, p<0.001) assessed bydensitometry and radiological study. In CI+IGF rat bone density (assessed bydensitometry) improved significantly as compared with CI animals. In summary,osteopenia characterized by loss of bone mass and preserved bone composition was found in rats with advanced cirrhosis induced by CCl4 and phenobarbital indrinking water. This bone disorder is partially restored by treatment with lowdoses of IGF-I during only three weeks. Thus, IGF-I could be considered as apossible therapy for osteopenia associated with advanced liver cirrhosis.