title: Partial purification of a polypeptide extract derived from ovine pineal that suppresses the growth of human melanoma cells in vitro.
abstract: A combination of gelfiltration and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography with postcolumn antitumour assay has been developed. A melatonin insensitive human melanoma cell strain was used to guide the purification of the antitumour effect of an ovine pineal aqueous extract (MW 1,000 to 10,000) that possessed the ability to decrease the hypophysiotropic activity of rat and mice hypothalami in vitro. This allows a specific identification of a pineal factor (MW 2,000 to 6,000) that inhibits the growth of human melanoma cells at a dose of 0.47 mg/ml medium. It was shown that the activity of this pineal compound differs from structures known to be present in the pineal, such as melatonin, pteridines, and beta-carbolines. There appears to be evidence for a peptidic nature of this pineal antitumour factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Noteborn
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Weusten
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flehmig
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ebels
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Salemink
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology; D010455:Peptides / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000032:analysis; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D010455:Peptides