Determination of nonsuppressible insulin-like activity in human serum by a sensitive protein-binding assay.

We describe a sensitive protein-binding assay for non-suppressible insulin-like activity in human serum. It can detect as little as 0.2 microunits (corresponding to 0.5 ng) of the activity in 0.4 ml of the assay mixture. It is measured in a low-molecular-weight fraction (termed "biological material") obtained by chromatography of serum on Sephadex G-50 in 1 mol/liter acetic acid. This fraction has been shown earlier to contain nearly all this billogically active material that is present in serum. A partially purified carrier protein from human serum is used as the binding protein; different concentrations of a partially purified preparation of material with the activity serve as standards, which compete with 125l-labeled tracer for binding. Biological material dilutes more or less in parallel with the standard over a 10-fold concentration range. In the chromatographed serum fractions, displacing activity appears between 50 and 80% bed volume, with the peak at 60%, and coincides with the distribution and the peak of radioactivity obtained by chromatography of tracer. A good correlation (r = 0.88) is observed between the values determined for this activity in the rat fat-pad assay and the protein-binding assay, although the latter yields about two fold higher results (190 +/- 37 milliunits/liter vs. 345+- 65 milliunits/liter, mean values for 18 normal sera). Values determined in the protein-binding assay are decreased in hypopituitary patients (183 +/- 27 milliunits/liter) and increased in acromegalics (486 +/- 88 milliunits/liter), in accord with the results of the bioassay (68 +/- 21 milliunits/liter for hypopituitary patients, 293 +/- 53 for acromegalics).

Small stature and insulin-like growth factors: prolonged treatment of mini-poodles with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I.

The short stature of mini-poodles is associated with low serum levels of IGF-I. Standard poodles are taller and have considerably higher serum levels of IGF-I. Low IGF-I serum levels may be a symptom or the cause of small stature. We, therefore, undertook a study in which serum IGF-I levels of mini-poodles were elevated over a prolonged period of time by a constant infusion of rhIGF-I and the growth rate of the mini-poodles was followed. We infused four mini-poodles from day 91 to day 221 of age with 6 mg/day of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor I (rhIGF-I). Serum levels of IGF-I rose from about 160 to about 500 micrograms/l. Blood glucose remained within normal limits. Stimulation tests with clonidine and with GHRH revealed suppression of endogenous GH secretion during the IGF-I infusion. Serum levels of IGF-II and of creatinine were lower in the IGF-I-infused animals. Radial length and body weight did not increase to a greater extent in the IGF-I infused dogs than in controls. However, 'adapted body mass index' (aBMI = gram body weight/(mm radial length)2) decreased in each of the IGF-I infused animals, whereas it increased in each of the control dogs (p less than 0.05). We conclude that long-term infusion of IGF-I does not stimulate growth in young mini-poodles, but may change body composition.

[Production and detection of antibody against estradiol receptor in the calf uterus. Interaction with the estrogen receptor from the hen oviduct]. / Production et détection d'anticorps antirécepteur de l'oesstradiol d'utérus de veau. Interaction avec le récepteur d'oviducte de poule.

The antibodies against estrogen receptor were obtained after injecting Rabbits with a cytoplasmic receptor fraction isolated from Calf uterus. The estrogen receptor was partially proteolysed by the action of trypsin and subsequently purified by affinity chromatography (purification 4,000 to 10,000 fold, to a purity of 5-20%). The affinity of the antibody for the proteolysed receptor is KD approximately 1 nM and serum titres have reached values of approximately 50 nM. The values remained constant after the third injection. Preliminary results indicate that the antibody has approximately the same affinity for "native" cytoplasmic estrogen receptor from Calf uterus, as well as for the "trypsinized" forms of estrogen receptor isolated from Calf uterine cytosol and Hen oviduct nuclei.