European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 9 - Number 3
Eur J Anat, 9 (3): 149-154 (2005)

Bone growth in IUGR rats treated with growth hormone: A multivariate approach

Quintero F.A., Orden A.B., Fucini M.C., Oyhenart E.E., Guimarrey L.M.

Centro de Investigaciones en Genética Básica y Aplicada (CIGEBA), Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP); Cátedra de Antropología Biológica IV, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Facultad de Odontología, UNLP; Hospital de Niños S.S.M. Ludovica, Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC); Centro de Investigaciones en Genética Básica y Aplicada (CIGEBA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), Calles 60 y 118, s/n, CC296 1900 La Plata, Argentina

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to assess the morphological changes (in size and shape) in Intrauterine Growth Retarded (IUGR) rats treated with growth hormone. Wistar albino rats were divided into the following groups: Control, Sham-operated, Intrauterine growth retarded, and Intrauterine growth retarded injected with growth hormone. Intrauterine growth retardation was induced by partial bending of uterine vessels on day 14 of pregnancy. After weaning, all groups received a stock diet ad libitum. At 84 days of age, the animals were X-rayed on the dorsal and lateral planes. Cranial and postcranial measurements were taken on each radiograph. Data were standardized and processed by principal component and discriminant analysis. Both the first component and discriminant function revealed size differences between sexes and treatments. Males were larger than females. Sham males were the largest, followed by intrauterine growth retarded animals treated with growth hormone and intrauterine growth retarded rats. Sham and intrauterine growth retarded females treated with growth hormone were similar and larger than their IUGR counterparts. The second and subsequent components and discriminant functions described shape variations. Sham and intrauterine growth retarded animals treated with growth hormone formed a single cluster separated from intrauterine growth retarded rats. Intrauterine growth retardation produces a differential reduction of bone dimensions, i.e. a modification of allometric growth. Growth hormone seems to promote harmonic growth recovery (size and shape) only in females.

Keywords: human growth hormone, animal experiment, animal model, article, bone growth, catch up growth, controlled study, discriminant analysis, female, intrauterine growth retardation, male, morphological trait, multivariate analysis, nonhuman, principal component analysis, rat, sex difference, skeleton radiography, skull development, uterine blood vessel, weaning

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)