title: Initial characterization and sexual dimorphism of serum growth hormone-binding protein in adult rats.
abstract: The in vitro binding of 125I-bovine growth hormone (bGH) to adult rat serum was studied using Ultrogel AcA34 filtration. When analytical chromatography on a 1.6 x 100 cm column was performed, four peaks of radioactivity were revealed: the first two peaks with Mr +/- 220,000 and +/- 110,000 corresponded to bound 125I-bGH (abolished by excess of unlabeled bGH), the third corresponded to free 125I-bGH and the fourth to free Na125I (Vt). On a short (1 x 40 cm) column, bound 125I-bGH eluted as a single peak between the void volume (Vo) and the peak of free 125I-bGH. Serum 125I-bGH binding was specific, saturable, and time-dependent. Specific serum 125I-bGH binding (bound/total radioactivity x 100), calculated as the difference of binding in the absence and the presence of an excess unlabeled bGH, was higher in female than in male rats (26 +/- 2% vs. 11 +/- 1%, respectively; mean +/- SE; n = 6; P less than 0.01). Scatchard analysis revealed a binding affinity of 2 x 10(8) M-1 for both sexes, and a binding capacity of 6.4 x 10(-8) mol/liter for the female rats and 1.6 x 10(-8) mol/liter for the male rats (mean of three serum pools of three animals each). Specific binding of 125I-bGH to serum correlated significantly with 125I-bGH binding to liver homogenates (r = 0.83; n = 12; P less than 0.01). These results suggest the presence of a specific GH-binding protein in rat serum and provide further evidence for a close relationship between serum GH-binding protein and hepatic GH receptors.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Diabétologie et Nutrition, University of Louvain, School of Medicine, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mulumba
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ketelslegers
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D013006:Growth Hormone