Abstract
Transient falls in plasma potassium (K) concentration following IGF-I injection have previously been reported. However, the precise mechanism of this effect has never been investigated. To adress this point, 4 prepubertal patients (2 girls, 2 boys, aged 5 to 14 yrs) with Laron dwarfism have been studied. In all patients, treatment with IGF-I had been withdrawn for at least 3 weeks. After an overnight fast, a 30-min urine collection period was performed. Venous blood was drawn (through an indwelling catheter, without a tourniquet) at the mid-point of the period. After subcutaneous injection of IGF-I (provided by KABI Pharmacia, 40μg/kg B.W.), a 3-hr urine collection period was performed during which blood was sampled every 60 min.
There was no significant change in venous pH, plasma bicarbonate, plasma cortisol, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, and plasma glucagon concentrations. Plasma norepinephrine concentration remained stable all over the study, whereas plasma epinephrine and plasma aldosterone concentrations increased in 2 patients but remained stable in the 2 others. We conclude that: 1) IGF-I induces a steep decrease in plasma K concentration in patients with Laron dwarfism 2) the decrease in plasma K concentration is due to an acute intracellular K shift, since urinary K excretion did not increase 3) the IGF-I induced K shift occurs despite no significant change in the known determinants of transcellular K movements, suggesting that intracellular K shift is a direct effect of IGF-I.
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Houillier, P., Lordereau-Richard, I., Leviel, F. et al. INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR I (IGF-I) INDUCES ACUTE INTRACELLULAR POTASSIUM SHIFT IN PATIENTS WITH LARON DWARFISM. Pediatr Res 33 (Suppl 5), S54 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00304
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199305001-00304