Moreover, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signalling has been shown to play an important role in skeletal and cardiac cell growth through the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (Erk 1/2) [25,26] as well as in the loading-induced adaptive cardiac hypertrophy through the activation of Akt [27,28], while potentially differential actions of IGF-1 isoforms in the myocardial repair/remodelling process and in cardiac myoblasts growth have been proposed [26]. Here, IGF1 is linked to cardiac hypertrophy.