title: Partial purification of (a) low molecular weight ovine pineal compound(s) with an inhibiting effect on the growth of human melanoma cells in vitro.
abstract: An in vitro human melanoma cell assay was used to work up the partial purification of (a) low molecular weight (MW) substance(s) from aqueous extracts of ovine pineal tissue shown to contain a growth-inhibiting activity. A combination of paper chromatography, ion-exchange and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography with post-column antitumor assay has been developed. This allows a specific identification of an ovine pineal factor (MW less than 500) which inhibits the growth of human melanoma cells in vitro. The substance was partially purified to about 1,000 times as compared to the IC100-value of the starting material (retentate 5). The growth inhibition of human melanoma cells in culture was complete at a dose of 0.1 microgram/ml of purified pineal factor(s). It was demonstrated that the activity of this pineal compound differs from some substances known to be present in the pineal, such as melatonin, serotonin, peridines and beta-carbolines. The activity was not destroyed by treatment with proteolytic enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organic Chemistry, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Noteborn
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bartsch
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Mans
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Weusten
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; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D012756:Sheep; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014020:Tissue Extracts