title: Immunoreactive beta-MSH in human plasma and in a corticotrophic adenoma culture medium. Its relation to the lipotrophins.
abstract: In order to characterize more accurately the relationship between immunoreactive beta-MSH ("BETA-MSH") and the lipotrophins (LPH) we attempted to investigate the gel filtration and the immunological characteristics of "beta-MSH" in the plasma of patients with Nelson's syndrome and Addison's disease as well as in the culture medium from a human corticotrophic adenoma using a sensitive radioimmunoassay from human beta-MSH. When added either to hormone free plasma or to a plasma from a patient with Nelson's syndrome all the human beta-MSH (hbeta-MSH) elutes from a Sephadex G-50 column as a single peak in a volume corresponding to its molecular weight. In contrast plasma "beta-MSH" in 3 patients with Nelson's syndrome and one patient with Addison's disease almost completely elutes in a volume corresponding to a molecular weight range of 6000-10 000; no "beta-MSH" can be detected in its normal elution volume. Drastic pH change (8.2 to 2.3) does not significantly alter the elution pattern. Chromatography of a corticotrophic adenoma culture medium gave a similar pattern of "beta-MSH" with a main peak in the molecular weight range of 6000-10 000. In our radioimmunoassay the culture medium and purified hbeta-LPH gave parallel displacement curves for [125I]hbeta-MSH. It is suggested that hbeta-LPH or a closely related substance is the main material responsible for "beta-MSH" immunoactivity.
mesh_terms: D000224:Addison Disease / Q000097:blood*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000032:analysis*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D002021:Buffers; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009347:Nelson Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002021:Buffers; D003470:Culture Media; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D008083:beta-Lipotropin