Possible role of thyroid hormone in decreased somatomedin-C levels in diabetic and starved rats.
To elucidate the possible role of thyroid hormone in somatomedin-C (SmC)/insulin-like growth factor I regulation in diabetes mellitus and starvation, plasma SmC, liver SmC, and kidney SmC concentrations were measured in streptozotocin-induced (60 mg/kg) diabetic and starved (for 72 h) rats. Triiodothyronine (T3, 5.0 micrograms/kg every 24 h) was subcutaneously injected into diabetic rats for 7 days and into starved rats at 12, 36, and 60 h after starvation. Plasma T3, plasma SmC, liver SmC, and kidney SmC concentrations were significantly decreased in diabetic and starved rats. T3 administration restored plasma T3 levels to the normal value in diabetic and starved rats. Plasma SmC and kidney SmC concentrations were significantly increased in T3-treated starved rats, while they were not increased in T3-treated diabetic rats. These results suggest that thyroid hormone may have some role in SmC regulation during starvation, but may have no role in diabetes mellitus in the rat.