Partial characterization of circulating inhibin-B and pro-alphaC during development in the male rhesus monkey.
Gel filtration chromatography and ELISAs for inhibin-B and pro-alphaC were used to examine the circulating forms of inhibin in the neonatal (age 2-6 weeks), juvenile (age 1-2 yr), and adult male rhesus monkey. In all samples, isoforms of inhibin-B of 26-36K and 150K were found. Both forms were significantly greater in the adult. The alpha-subunit assay detected major peaks at 45-60 and 29-31K, and a minor peak of greater than 100K. As for inhibin-B, the major forms of inhibin pro-alphaC were highest in adulthood. Inhibin-B and pro-alphaC were measurable in peripheral plasma at age 1 week, increased with the neonatal rise in plasma FSH, and then decreased but remained detectable through age 1 yr. Values in adult males were higher than at any time during the first year of life. Finally, mean values of plasma inhibin-B and pro-alphaC in five monkeys, based on multiple blood samples drawn between age 1 week and 1 yr, were rank ordered and were found to be highly positively correlated (r = 0.96), suggesting that inhibin levels in the first year of life may be a marker of Sertoli cell number, and may predict the spermatogenic capacity of the testis in adulthood.
Winters
S J
SJ
Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. winters@msx.dept-med.pitt.edu
Plant
T M
TM
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000097:blood* / Q000254:growth & development*; D008297:Male; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism
D011498:Protein Precursors; C095971:inhibin-alpha subunit precursor; D007265:Inhibins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone