Igf-1

[DragonRider]

Igf-1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IGF-1
Insulin Like Growth Factor-1
Drug Class: Growth Factor
Dosage: 60-100mcg daily
Water Retention: Diet Dependant.

IGF is naturally produced in the liver as a result of GH (growth hormone) metabolism in the presence of insulin. Muscle tissue can also produce IGF-1 by way of an intracellular response. In fact, one of the benefits of training sets that result in an intense burn , or stretch position training , is the production of natural IGF-1. It is also a side effect of oral 17-Alfa Alkylated steroids, which cause a higher release of IGF-1 from the liver. IGF-1 receptors exist throughout muscles and organs such as the heart, spleen, small intestines and kidneys with a higher concentration of receptors existing effects upon organs. IGF-1 is extremely anabolic, more so than GH or insulin.

Recombinant IGF-1 (genetically engineered) was reported effective when injected intramusculary because it causes localized growth. This was the most popular method, and agreed the wisest for the most part.The drug has a half life of about ten minutes, and if it has been bound to IGF-BP3 (binding protein) the half life is extended to 12 hours. Pros often stack Insulin and or GH with IGF-1 because IGF-1 shuts off natural GH production and GH causes insulin resistance and interracts with Insulin. But this would actually be an untrue term for IGF-1.

IGF-1 can have all the side effects of GH or insulin use with an added negative: Gastrointestinal growth. This is due to the high number of IGF-1 receptors in the GI tract as compared to skeletal muscle. The latter has more GH receptors. The explains much of the bloat of pro bodybuilders.

IGF-1 is not stable in synthetic forms. A loud noise, shaking a vial and sudden heat changes can render it nothing more than expensive Amino Acids.Picture a piece of string folded up in a specific shape and held in that shape by a few fibers. This is what an amino acid sequence for GH or IGF-1 looks like,but the IGF-1 sequence has only 2 fibers keeping the active shape. The strand or string is a specific amino acid sequence. The shaping fibers holding the active shape are called disulfide bridges. Changing the folding or break a bridge and the IGF-1 no longer fits into it's receptor site. Like a key to a lock a drug must have the right shape to actuate it's receptor. Again this explains the necessity of careful preparation and site specific injection (into the musle group trained that day) when IGF-1 was administered.

Common Stacks have been 0.25-0.50 of GH per KG of bodyweight stacked with 60-1000mcg of IGF-1 divided into 2-5 daily injections. Many have reported improved lean mass gains by combining both with insulin and high androgen AAS (d-bol, anadrol) for 4-8 weeks. Many simply injected 40-mcg of IGF-1 into the muscle group trained that day after training. It is important to note that IGF-1 can cause hypoglycemia and blood sugar monitoring is considered paramount.
The reader should note that IGF-1 has been used clinically on children at dosages of over 3000-7000 mcg a day! No negative sides were reported though none were expected. The point being is that 40-100mcg of IGF-1 used by athletes is most likely insufficient yet very expensive, However the results some individuals have realized through IGF-1 have been amazing.

 

[jsjs24]

Bro I thin you made a mistake at the top where the daily dosage is. It say 60-1000mcg. Can you really take 1000mcg a day. I was told if a went over 100mcg I would feel sick. So all I take is 25mcg twice a day. There is only 100mcg in the bottles I get so I could take 10 of those bottles a day thats alot. I might be wasting my time with only 50mcg a day. Do you think I am wasting my time with 50mcg a day? I also take 5-10 ius of growth test, deca and insuline when I use it.

It's probably a typo. Do not exceed 100mcg, or even 80 imo. I used that stuff last cycle during my pct and did not notice SHIT! Let me know how it works for you.

 

[jsjs24]

Bro I did notice anything when I used it either. I got it for a good price wight from GEN LEI in CHINA I only pai $1320 for 50 100mcg bottles. If I didnt get it so cheap I would have been pissed. I now guys paying $100-$300 bottle.

That is too cheap bro, I might wonder about that.

 

[DragonRider]

Bro I thin you made a mistake at the top where the daily dosage is. It say 60-1000mcg. Can you really take 1000mcg a day. I was told if a went over 100mcg I would feel sick.

Definate typo. Thanks for pointing that out.
To be fair to the author, I didn't write this. His name wasn't posted, so I couldn't post it either.

 

[RedBaron]

The original post may have actually meant up to 1000mcgs. It appears as if they are talking about regular ol' HuIGF-1 and not the newer, modified Long R3 IGF-1. With the HuIGF-1, you would potentially use a higher dose. The active window was only a few minutes ... great for site growth but it rarely made it to any othe muscle tissues for systemic growth. Long R3 is a whole other beast ... a dose of 1000 mcg's with it would be insane.

 

[RedBaron]

Here is a a reasonable read more specific to LR3 IGF-1. Nothing too deep, but a reasonable overview for anyone interested. -RedBaron

LongR3 IGF-I
Good Science. Great Performance.


The efficient and effective manufacture of recombinant proteins, antibodies, vaccines and viral products in animal cells requires a source of growth factors or some means of growth factor signaling to cells. The traditional method is to provide an external source of growth factors, primarily through the addition of fetal bovine serum to culture media. However, many sectors of the biotechnology
and pharmaceutical industries are now demanding pure recombinant growth factors, made under the highest quality standards, or inclusion in serum-free media formulations.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) were originally discovered and purified from serum. They are considered to be important growth factors for industrial cell culture because:

• They are present in all animal and human sera at concentrations of 100 - 500 µg/L.

• The removal of IGFs from serum can abolish up to 90% of the cell growth-promoting activity.

• They stimulate nutrient uptake, cell growth, protein synthesis and inhibit apoptosis or programmed cell death in a wide range
of cell types.

• Almost all cells have type I IGF receptors, which mediate the biological action of IGFs.

Many industrially important cell types can be cultured in serum-free media that contain high concentrations of insulin (5 - 10 mg/L). This is about 1000-fold higher than the normal physiological concentration of insulin. Insulin only works in cell culture because it acts as a weak substitute for IGFs. Much lower levels of IGFs can replace insulin.

The insulin-like growth factors are structurally related to insulin. There are two forms, IGF-I and IGF-II, which are similar and have closely related actions on cell growth via the same receptor. IGF-I is considered to be the main post-natal growth-promoting factor and IGF-II has major effects during fetal development. IGF-I is a non-glycosylated, single chain polypeptide 70 amino acids in length.

Structure of IGF-I and Insulin
Insulin-like growth Factor-I Insulin

IGF-I is similar in structure to pro-insulin, the precursor of insulin. Pro-insulin is a single chain polypeptide, which is cleaved to remove the connecting C peptide, to form insulin. Insulin has two chains (A and B chain) connected by two disulphide bonds.

The receptors for IGF-I and insulin are also structurally related and both ligands interact with each other’s receptors with very low affinity. In cell culture, the potency of IGF-I is higher than insulin because the cellular responses required for biopharmaceutical production in animal cells are mediated via the type I IGF receptor, not the insulin receptor.

Another important feature is that a family of six IGF binding proteins regulates the biology of IGF peptides. These proteins are found in serum and are also produced by cells in culture. IGF binding proteins bind IGFs with high affinity and generally inhibit the actions of IGFs on cells. This has been exploited by making analogs of IGF peptides that do not bind to IGF binding proteins and are therefore superior to both IGF-I and insulin in cell culture. The most potent of these analogs for commercial cell culture purposes is LongR3 IGF-I.

LongR3 IGF-I
LongR3I GF-I has been specifically engineered and manufactured by GroPep Limited for use in serum-free cell culture media. Structurally it has two significant modifications — first, one amino acid in the IGF-I structure, the glutamic acid (E) at position 3 has been replaced with an arginine (R), which accounts for the R3 in the name; and second, because the molecule is made as a fusion protein, it has an N-terminal fusion partner which is 13 amino acids long. Thus the “LongTM” in the name.

Structure of LongR3 IGF-I

Replacing the glutamic acid (E) with arginine (R) at position 3 is important because this modification significantly reduces the binding of the growth factor to the IGF-I binding proteins, enabling LongR3 IGF-I to be so potent. The addition of the fusion partner also enhances refolding and facilitates high-yield production. The end result is a growth factor 10-fold more potent in cultured cells compared to native IGF-I and 200- to 1000-fold more potent than insulin.


A general comparison of properties related to potency in cell culture is provided in the following table.


LongR3I GF-I is manufactured in genetically engineered E. coli. The manufacturing process uses no animal sourced material, making it regulatory friendly for commercial biopharmaceutical production. The system of production is briefly outlined below:

1. Fermentation. E. coli containing the gene for LongR3 IGF-I are grown in a fermenter. GroPep
Limited’s patented expression system uses inclusion body technology.

2. Homogenization. Bacteria are lysed to release inclusion bodies that are harvested by differential
centrifugation.

3. Dissolution. The recombinant fusion protein is released into solution. It is not correctly folded
into its tertiary protein structure at this point.

4. Refolding. The LongR3 IGF-I protein is incubated under controlled conditions so that the
disulphide bonds can correctly form to allow the correct protein structure. The protein would
be biologically inactive or less active in an incorrectly folded form.

5. Purification. A four-step system is used to purify LongR3 IGF-I. This series of steps also incorporates accepted protocols for the removal of bacterial endotoxin.

6. Supply. The product is subjected to quality control assays and is available as a lyophilized
powder or can be manufactured as a liquid for delivery to customers.

It is important to be aware that insulin is acting in cell culture systems as a weak analog of IGF-I.
LongR3I GF-I will therefore work in any serum-free medium or cell culture system in which insulin is used. The potency compared to insulin is best illustrated by the data published by Morris, et al, 20001. They found that LongR3 IGF-I was superior to insulin in terms of recombinant protein production, primarily by increasing the number of viable Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells in a small production system. LongR3 IGF-I was used in the µg/L range compared to insulin in the mg/L concentration range.

Advantages of LongR3 IGF-I

There are several advantages to using LongR3 IGF-I in cell culture rather than insulin.
1. LongR3 IGF-I is Better Cell Science. Because LongR3 IGF-I acts directly on the type I IGF
receptor it is the right tool for the job. And since far less LongR3 IGF-I is required in media than
insulin it can make downstream processing easier and more efficient as well.

2. LongR3 IGF-I Outperforms Insulin. Published research has shown that LongR3 IGF-I leads to overall greater productivity by increasing cell viability and delaying programmed cell death.

3. LongR3 IGF-I is Readily Available and Regulatory Friendly. Since LongR3 IGF-I is a recombinant protein manufactured in a process without any animal-derived components it eliminates regulatory concerns. It is a proven cell culture product currently employed in the manufacturing process
of a number of FDA-approved biopharmaceuticals. A secure and ample manufacturing capacity
ensures a continual, ready supply for commercial production needs.

4. LongR3 IGF-I is Less Expensive than Insulin. Depending on the amount of LongTMR3IGF-I used to achieve cell growth, and the productivity enhancements one achieves, LongR3 IGF-I can be
significantly less expensive than insulin on a dollar/liter basis as shown on the chart below. Also,
over time, as LongR3 IGF-I usage increases, the cost of production will decrease – making it even
less expensive, while insulin costs have been steadily increasing.

Preparation and use of LongR3 IGF-I

LongR3 IGF-I is supplied as a freeze-dried formulation or as a liquid.

The freeze-dried formulation is packed in an atmosphere of nitrogen at a slight vacuum. To prepare a solution for cell culture, introduce an air filled syringe through the septum to equalize the pressure. Next, add sufficient 10 mM HCl or 100 mM acetic acid to the vial to achieve a peptide concentration of at least 0.1 mg/mL. Concentrations of 1 mg/mL or more are recommended. Mix the solution thoroughly to ensure the peptide is completely dissolved. The solution can then be filtered through a low-protein binding membrane before addition to cell culture medium or it can be added directly to the medium, which can subsequently be filtered.

The liquid product is formulated in acetic acid (100 mM) at a concentration of 5 - 7 g/L and is ready to dilute straight into cell culture medium to achieve a biologically active concentration of about 50 µg/L. The final dilution of 100,000-fold, means that there is no effect on pH or osmolality of the cell culture medium.

A titration for LongR3 IGF-I should be performed for each different application as the optimum concentration may vary slightly depending upon the cell type used and other components present in the medium. The recommended final concentration range of LongR3 IGF-I is 10 to 50 µg/L.

Because LongR3 IGF-I and insulin act through the same cell receptor, the effectiveness of LongR3 IGF-I will be masked if it is added in conjunction with commonly employed concentrations of insulin (~10 mg/L). However, inclusion of physiological levels of insulin (~5 µg/L) in cell culture medium containing the recommended levels of LongR3 IGF-I can result in beneficial synergistic effects in certain applications.

 

[DragonRider]

Amazing. It blows me away that they make this from E. coli bacteria. I've not had the opportinity to use LongR3 IGF-I or any IGF-1 for that matter. I know most use it along with GH. Is it worth taking without GH?

 

[RedBaron]

It is pretty amazing when you look at how they manufacture and extract it....GH too for that matter. The fact that E. coli is used in the process is one of the reasons why some of the imports brands of GH and IGF-1 cause a "red welt" reaction. While there isn't any active E. coli bacteria present, in the lower grade products there are sometimes some residual protein remnants from the e. coli process. Your body will react to those if they are present in high enough numbers.

IGF-1 actually stands pretty well on its own when using minus GH. The main "anabolic" function of GH is in making its pass through the liver - with the liver in turn secreting IGF-1. Long R3 IGF taken at about 60mcg a day, every day, for a 30-40 day cycle followed by 30 days off will yield some pretty good results. It hits a lot harder and faster than GH .... GH is pretty subtle in its effects where IGF-1 you will begin to feel after just about 5-8 days.

You see Long R3 used with GH so much because it can have a "jump start" effect on a GH cycle. GH will increase your IGF-1 level over time, but it takes several weeks. Adding some Long R3 to the mix gets those levels up in just a few days, so your GH type results get going right away. Then by the end of your 30-40 day cycle, the GH will keep those IGF-1 levels up high enough to keep up the production of new muscle cells.

Using Long R3 IGF-1 with a cycle of AAS can help you to keep the gains that you make with the anabolics. At the same time, it does help you lean out some. Pretty decent stuff in my book.

 

[pincrusher]

i am a regular user of igf and love the results i get with it. i use it during my cycles and always use a harsh aas like anadrol when i am on igf. i have gone as high as 100mcg per day on the long-r2 version and the pumps in the gym and the unsatisfyable hunger i got was insane. had to stop quite a few workouts early cause the pumps were that bad.
you do not need to use it with gh and i actually from personal experience recommend against it except at very very low doses. the side affects are intensified when you use both together.
recommended dosing is 30-100mcg per day. anything less than 50mch can be taken in one shot but over that amount should be taken in 2 shots seperated by at least 4 hours. i take mine 1 hour before going to the gym but some people take it immediatly after their workout and see similar affects.
product can be left at room temperature for up to 1 week in its unconstituted state but once constituted it must be refrigerated and used up within 1 week or so. unconstituted vials should be kept in the freezer.
can be adminisered with a 5/8 slin pin in any muscle that has low fat coverage. i use my delts & biceps for all my injections. if injecting into quads or glutes you should use at least a 1" pin to make sure it is intramuscularly injected. do not inject in your abs as it will leave a nice lump that will be sore for days.
for an added kicker i draw up 1/2ml of injectible b12 into the slin pin before the igf. most people will draw up some bacteriostatic water first into the pin before the igf since the dosing is so small the little amount left in the pin will affect dosing. the BS will help push all the igf out of the pin.

 

[pincrusher]

when used during pct, you may not feel much but it will help you keep your gains. not everyone responds to igf though so i consider myself one of the lucky ones to be responsive to it
if you use it during a cycle you should wait till your injectibles have reached their 1/2 life point to get the best results, or you can use an oral like drol or dbol and start the igf immediatly in the cycle. run the igf for no more than 4 weeks at a time and then take an equal amount of time off before you run it again. it downregulates the receptors fairly quick and even increasing the dosages after 4 weeks will do little for ya other than empty your wallet faster.
highest i have ever heard anyone going dosage wise was 200mcg per day and this was by a top level pro. he stopped that dosage after only 4 days though and dropped down to 100mcg due to uncontrollable pumps that lasted all day and got to the point that he couldnt conntinue his workouts after his warmup sets due to the insane pumps he got.