Sexually dimorphic changes in the endocrine pancreas and skeletal muscle in young adulthood following intra-amniotic IGF-I treatment of growth-restricted fetal sheep

Abstract

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with compromised metabolic function throughout adulthood. Here, we explored the long-term effects of fetal IGF-I therapy on the adult pancreas and skeletal muscle. This is the first study demonstrating that IGF-I therapy of FGR has sex-specific long-term effects at both the tissue and molecular level on metabolically active tissues in adult sheep.