CIRCULATING IGF-I IN PLASMA OF GROWING MALE AND FEMALE TURKEYS OF MEDIUM AND HEAVY WEIGHT LINES

Plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were determined in male and female turkeys from a medium weight (RBC2) and a related heavy weight line (F) from 1 to 28 wks of age. At hatch, the concentrations of IGF-I were relatively low and not different between lines or sexes. During the neonatal period (1 to 7 wks), the concentrations of IGF-I increased and were higher in the faster growing F line and in males. During the juvenile period (8 to 15 wks) the concentrations of IGF-I were higher in males but not different between lines. During the preadolescent period (16 to 21 wks), the concentrations of IGF-I were higher in males but was not different between lines in males while the females of the RBC2 line had higher concentrations than females of the F line. During the adolescent period (22 to 28 wks) the concentrations of IGF-I were higher in males but was not different between lines in males while the femaLes of the RBC2 line had higher concentrations than femaLes of the F line. A phenotypic correlation (+.25) between plasma IGF-I and growth rate was present after statistical absorption of model effects during the neonatal period but not at the later ages. We conclude that IGF-I concentration was positively correlated with growth rate during the neonatal period, but that this relationship changed during the preadolescent and adolesCent periods so that IGF-I concentrations were not related to growth rate in males but were negatively related to growth rate in females.