We have investigated the hypothesis that there is local regulation of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) gene expression during skeletal muscle growth. Compensatory hypertrophy was induced in the soleus, a predominantly slow-twitch muscle, and plantaris, a fast-twitch muscle, in 11- to 12-wk-old female Wistar rats by unilateral cutting of the distal gastrocnemius tendon. Animals were killed 2, 4, or 8 days later, and muscles of the nonoperated leg served as controls. Muscle weight increased throughout the experimental period, reaching 127% (soleus) or 122% (plantaris) of control values by day 8. In both growing muscles, IGF-I mRNA, quantitated by a solution-hybridization nuclease-protection assay, rose by nearly threefold on day 2 and remained elevated throughout the experimental period. IGF-II mRNA levels also increased over controls. A more dramatic response was seen in hypophysectomized rats, where IGF-I mRNA levels rose by 8- to 13-fold, IGF-II values by 3- to 7-fold, and muscle mass increased on day 8 to 149% (soleus) or 133% (plantaris) of the control contralateral limb. These results indicate that signals propagated during muscle hypertrophy enhance the expression of both IGF genes, that modulation of IGF-I mRNA levels can occur in the absence of growth hormone, and that locally produced IGF-I and IGF-II may play a role in skeletal muscle growth.

The functional, nutritional, and antioxidative properties of hydrolyzed herring and herring byproducts (head and gonad) were evaluated. All freeze-dried herring fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) powders were light yellow and contained 77% to 87% protein. The degree of hydrolysis was 18.3%, 13%, 13%, and 10.1%, respectively, for head, whole fish, body, and gonad after 75 min digestion. All FPH powders had desirable essential amino acid profiles and mineral contents. The emulsifying capacity and stability of all FPH powders were lower than those of egg albumin and soy protein; the fat adsorption was comparable to that of egg albumin. The antioxidative activity of whole herring FPH was highest, followed by that of body, gonad, and head.

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