Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Linear growth failure induced by systemic inflammation inhibiting IGF -1/IGFBP axis in  
rats with asymptomatic colitis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 15 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Reviewer 2  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:  
 
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research 
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?  
Yes - there is a clear objective  
 
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls  and analysis protocols) appropriate for the 
objective?  
Yes - the approach is appropriate  
 
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow 
confidence in the results?  
No - there are minor issues  
 
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?  
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study  
 
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not 
overstated?  
Yes - the author's interpretation is re asonable  
 
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work technically 
sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically sound?  
Probably - with minor revisions  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:  
 
GENERAL COMMENTS: The overall impre ssion of the study - good. The authors have written 
the manuscript well. Best Practices followed - proper ethics approval from appropriate 
committees obtained; use of appropriate statistical tools.  
 
REQUESTED REVISIONS:  
(1). Morris table shown looks incom plete (apart from 0 to 5 Morris grading table has 6 to 10). 
Also please include the following  reference    - Morris GP, Beck PL, Herridge MS, Depew WT, 
Szewczuk MR, Wallace JL. Hapten -induced model of chronic inflammation and ulceration in the 
rat colon. Gastroenterology. 1989;96:795 -803.   (2). How myeloperoxidase was quantified? - 
please include this in the manuscript. (3). Include magnification scale in all the histopathology 
and immunohistochemistry figures. (4). Footnote for Figure 1B to be included.  (5) Figure -3B - 
check the order of the graphs (In all the graphs the sequence followed is control, colitis and 
finally pair -fed group. But in Figure -3B this arrangement naming appears interchanged - please 
rectify. (6) Figure 5 A d3 colitis  photograph and Figure 5 C d3 photograph both looks same. - 
please re -check and do the needful.  
 
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:  
(1) More inputs in Discussion part needed (Background has to be correlated with the present 
study) (2) Figure 3B - recheck p<0.05.  
 
Note: This reviewer report can be downloaded - see attached pdf file.  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the  manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of w ritten English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
This reviewer has been recruited by a partner organization, Research Square. Reviewers with  
declared or apparent competing interests are not utilized for  these reviews. This reviewer has  
agreed to publication of their comments online under a Creative Commons Attribution License  
attributed to Research Square and was paid a small honorarium for completing the review within 
a specified timeframe. Honoraria fo r reviews such as this are paid regardless of the reviewer  
recommendation.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors ' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open pe er review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Linear growth failure induced by systemic inflammation inhibiting IGF -1/IGFBP axis in  
rats with asymptomatic colitis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 15 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Reviewer 2  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:  
 
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research 
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?  
Yes - there is a clear objective  
 
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls  and analysis protocols) appropriate for the 
objective?  
Yes - the approach is appropriate  
 
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow 
confidence in the results?  
No - there are minor issues  
 
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?  
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study  
 
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not 
overstated?  
Yes - the author's interpretation is re asonable  
 
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work technically 
sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically sound?  
Probably - with minor revisions  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:  
 
GENERAL COMMENTS: The overall impre ssion of the study - good. The authors have written 
the manuscript well. Best Practices followed - proper ethics approval from appropriate 
committees obtained; use of appropriate statistical tools.  
 
REQUESTED REVISIONS:  
(1). Morris table shown looks incom plete (apart from 0 to 5 Morris grading table has 6 to 10). 
Also please include the following  reference    - Morris GP, Beck PL, Herridge MS, Depew WT, 
Szewczuk MR, Wallace JL. Hapten -induced model of chronic inflammation and ulceration in the 
rat colon. Gastroenterology. 1989;96:795 -803.   (2). How myeloperoxidase was quantified? - 
please include this in the manuscript. (3). Include magnification scale in all the histopathology 
and immunohistochemistry figures. (4). Footnote for Figure 1B to be included.  (5) Figure -3B - 
check the order of the graphs (In all the graphs the sequence followed is control, colitis and 
finally pair -fed group. But in Figure -3B this arrangement naming appears interchanged - please 
rectify. (6) Figure 5 A d3 colitis  photograph and Figure 5 C d3 photograph both looks same. - 
please re -check and do the needful.  
 
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:  
(1) More inputs in Discussion part needed (Background has to be correlated with the present 
study) (2) Figure 3B - recheck p<0.05.  
 
Note: This reviewer report can be downloaded - see attached pdf file.  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the  manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of w ritten English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
This reviewer has been recruited by a partner organization, Research Square. Reviewers with  
declared or apparent competing interests are not utilized for  these reviews. This reviewer has  
agreed to publication of their comments online under a Creative Commons Attribution License  
attributed to Research Square and was paid a small honorarium for completing the review within 
a specified timeframe. Honoraria fo r reviews such as this are paid regardless of the reviewer  
recommendation.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors ' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open pe er review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Linear growth failure induced by systemic inflammation inhibiting IGF -1/IGFBP axis in  
rats with asymptomatic colitis  
 
Version: 0 Date: 15 Mar 2019  
 
Reviewer: Reviewer 2  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
PEER REVIEWER ASSESSMENTS:  
 
OBJECTIVE - Full research articles: is there a clear objective that addresses a testable research 
question(s) (brief or other article types: is there a clear objective)?  
Yes - there is a clear objective  
 
DESIGN - Is the current approach (including controls  and analysis protocols) appropriate for the 
objective?  
Yes - the approach is appropriate  
 
EXECUTION - Are the experiments and analyses performed with technical rigor to allow 
confidence in the results?  
No - there are minor issues  
 
STATISTICS - Is the use of statistics in the manuscript appropriate?  
Yes - appropriate statistical analyses have been used in the study  
 
INTERPRETATION - Is the current interpretation/discussion of the results reasonable and not 
overstated?  
Yes - the author's interpretation is re asonable  
 
OVERALL MANUSCRIPT POTENTIAL - Is the current version of this work technically 
sound? If not, can revisions be made to make the work technically sound?  
Probably - with minor revisions  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PEER REVIEWER COMMENTS:  
 
GENERAL COMMENTS: The overall impre ssion of the study - good. The authors have written 
the manuscript well. Best Practices followed - proper ethics approval from appropriate 
committees obtained; use of appropriate statistical tools.  
 
REQUESTED REVISIONS:  
(1). Morris table shown looks incom plete (apart from 0 to 5 Morris grading table has 6 to 10). 
Also please include the following  reference    - Morris GP, Beck PL, Herridge MS, Depew WT, 
Szewczuk MR, Wallace JL. Hapten -induced model of chronic inflammation and ulceration in the 
rat colon. Gastroenterology. 1989;96:795 -803.   (2). How myeloperoxidase was quantified? - 
please include this in the manuscript. (3). Include magnification scale in all the histopathology 
and immunohistochemistry figures. (4). Footnote for Figure 1B to be included.  (5) Figure -3B - 
check the order of the graphs (In all the graphs the sequence followed is control, colitis and 
finally pair -fed group. But in Figure -3B this arrangement naming appears interchanged - please 
rectify. (6) Figure 5 A d3 colitis  photograph and Figure 5 C d3 photograph both looks same. - 
please re -check and do the needful.  
 
ADDITIONAL REQUESTS/SUGGESTIONS:  
(1) More inputs in Discussion part needed (Background has to be correlated with the present 
study) (2) Figure 3B - recheck p<0.05.  
 
Note: This reviewer report can be downloaded - see attached pdf file.  
 
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
No 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the  manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
Quality of w ritten English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
This reviewer has been recruited by a partner organization, Research Square. Reviewers with  
declared or apparent competing interests are not utilized for  these reviews. This reviewer has  
agreed to publication of their comments online under a Creative Commons Attribution License  
attributed to Research Square and was paid a small honorarium for completing the review within 
a specified timeframe. Honoraria fo r reviews such as this are paid regardless of the reviewer  
recommendation.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors ' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open pe er review policy of the journal  
assistant