Peptide Isolation via Spray Drying: Particle Formation, Process Design and Implementation for the Production of Spray Dried Glucagon.

PURPOSE: Spray drying plays an important role in the pharmaceutical industry for product development of sensitive bio-pharmaceutical formulations. Process design, implementation and optimisation require in-depth knowledge of process-product interactions. Here, an integrated approach for the rapid, early-stage spray drying process development of trehalose and glucagon on lab-scale is presented. METHODS: Single droplet drying experiments were used to investigate the particle formation process. Process implementation was supported using in-line process analytical technology within a data acquisition framework recording temperature, humidity, pressure and feed rate. During process implementation, off-line product characterisation provided additional information on key product properties related to residual moisture, solid state structure, particle size/morphology and peptide fibrillation/degradation. RESULTS: A psychrometric process model allowed the identification of feasible operating conditions for spray drying trehalose, achieving high yields of up to 84.67%, and significantly reduced levels of residual moisture and particle agglomeration compared to product obtained during non-optimal drying. The process was further translated to produce powders of glucagon and glucagon-trehalose formulations with yields of >83.24%. Extensive peptide aggregation or degradation was not observed. CONCLUSIONS: The presented data-driven process development concept can be applied to address future isolation problems on lab-scale and facilitate a systematic implementation of spray drying for the manufacturing of sensitive bio-pharmaceutical formulations.

Expression, purification and preliminary characterization of glucagon receptor extracellular domain.

Glucagon is a pancreatic hormone that plays pivotal roles in regulating glucose homeostasis and metabolism. Glucagon exerts its action by binding to its receptor, glucagon receptor (GCGR), one of class B G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Diabetes is a bihormonal disease in which excessive glucagon secretion is a major contributor in the pathogenesis of this disease; elucidation of how glucagon binds to GCGR will facilitate the rational design of the GCGR antagonist for treating diabetic hyperglycemia. Here we report the successful expression and purification of the GCGR extracellular domain (GCGR-ECD) and its fusion protein with the glucagon peptide at its C-terminus (GCGR-ECD-Gc). We utilized the maltose binding protein (MBP) fusion method and disulfide bond isomerase DsbC co-expression approach for the success of the soluble expression of both GCGR-ECD and GCGR-ECD-Gc in Escherichia coli. We also obtained a high yield production of secreted GCGR-ECD with the baculovirus expression system by optimizing its N-terminal secreting signal. We first utilized isothermal titration calorimetry approach to determine the in vitro binding affinities of glucagon to the GCGR-ECD. No significant differences were found between the prokaryotic expressed GCGR-ECD (7.6µM) and the eukaryotic glycosylated one (6.6µM). The observation of the intra ligand-receptor binding within the fusion protein GCGR-ECD-Gc suggests it as a good candidate for further structural study.

Early milestones in glucagon research.

As an introduction to the Symposium, we have reviewed the early steps in glucagon research from its discovery in 1923 to the establishment of the basics of the physiology and pathophysiology of the hormone after the description of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay by Unger and his co-workers in 1959.

Local expression of transgene encoded TNF alpha in islets prevents autoimmune diabetes in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice by preventing the development of auto-reactive islet-specific T cells.

Lately, TNF alpha has been the focus of studies of autoimmunity; its role in the progression of autoimmune diabetes is, however, still unclear. To analyze the effects of TNF alpha in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), we have generated nonobese diabetic (NOD) transgenic mice expressing TNF alpha under the control of the rat insulin II promoter (RIP). In transgenic mice, TNF alpha expression on the islets resulted in massive insulitis, composed of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and B cells. Despite infiltration of considerable number of lymphoid cells in islets, expression of TNF alpha protected NOD mice from IDDM. To determine the mechanism of TNF alpha action, splenic cells from control NOD and RIP-TNF alpha mice were adoptively transferred to NOD-SCID recipients. In contrast to the induction of diabetes by splenic cells from control NOD mice, splenic cells from RIP-TNF alpha transgenic mice did not induce diabetes in NOD-SCID recipients. Diabetes was induced however, in the RIP-TNF alpha transgenic mice when CD8+ diabetogenic cloned T cells or splenic cells from diabetic NOD mice were adoptively transferred to these mice. Furthermore, expression of TNF alpha in islets also downregulated splenic cell responses to autoantigens. These data establish a mechanism of TNF alpha action and provide evidence that local expression of TNF alpha protects NOD mice from autoimmune diabetes by preventing the development of autoreactive islet-specific T cells.

From batch to continuous chromatographic purification of a therapeutic peptide through multicolumn countercurrent solvent gradient purification.

A twin-column Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification (MCSGP) process has been developed for the purification of a therapeutic peptide, glucagon, from a crude synthetic mixture. This semi-continuous process uses two identical columns operating either in interconnected or in batch mode, thus enabling the internal recycle of the portions of the eluting stream which do not comply with purity specifications. Because of this feature, which actually results in the simulated countercurrent movement of the stationary phase with respect to the mobile one, the yield-purity trade-off typical of traditional batch preparative chromatography can be alleviated. Moreover, the purification process can be completely automatized. Aim of this work is to present a simple procedure for the development of the MCSGP process based on a single batch experiment, in the case of a therapeutic peptide of industrial relevance. This allowed to recover roughly 90% of the injected glucagon in a purified pool with a purity of about 90%. A comparison between the performance of the MCSGP process and the classical single column batch process indicates that percentage increase in the recovery of target product is +23% when transferring the method from batch conditions to MCSGP, with an unchanged purity of around 89%. This improvement comes at the expenses of a reduction of about 38% in productivity.

Association of newly synthesized islet prohormones with intracellular membranes.

Results from recent studies have indicated that pancreatic islet prohormone converting enzymes are membrane-associated in islet microsomes and secretory granules. This observation, along with the demonstration that proglucagon is topologically segregated to the periphery within alpha cell secretory granules in several species, led us to investigate the possibility that newly synthesized islet prohormones might be associated with intracellular membranes. Anglerfish islets were incubated with [3H]tryptophan and [14C]isoleucine for 3 h, then fractionated by differential and density gradient centrifugation. Microsome (M) and secretory granule (SG) fractions were halved, sedimented, and resuspended in the presence or absence of dissociative reagents. After membrane lysis by repeated freezing and thawing, the membranous and soluble components were separated by centrifugation. Extracts of supernatants and pellets were chromatographed by gel filtration; fractions were collected and counted. A high proportion (77-79%) of the newly synthesized proinsulin and insulin was associated with both M and SG membranes. Most of the newly synthesized proglucagons and prosomatostatins (12,000-mol-wt precursors) were also membrane-associated (86-88%) in M and SG. In contrast, glucagon- and somatostatin-related peptides exhibited much less membrane-association in SG (24-31%). Bacitracin, bovine serum albumin EDTA, RNAse, alpha-methylmannoside, N-acetylglucosamine, and dithiodipyridine had no effect on prohormone association with membranes. However, high salt (1 M KCl) significantly reduced membrane-association of prohormones. Binding of labeled prohormones to SG membranes from unlabeled tissue increased with incubation time and was inhibited by unlabeled prohormones. The pH optimum for prohormone binding to both M and SG membranes was 5.2. It is suggested that association of newly synthesized prohormones with intracellular membranes could be related to the facilitation of proteolytic processing of prohormones and/or transport from their site of synthesis to the secretory granules.

Reversed-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography of peptides and proteins with ion-pairing reagents.

Reversed-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography has been successfully applied to the analysis of peptides and proteins by the addition of hydrophilic (for example, phosphoric acid) or hydrophobic (for example, hexanesulfonic acid) ion-pairing reagents, or both, to the mobile phase. Examples described included proteins such as insulin, glucagon, and 1-24 ACTH pentaacetate (ACTH is adrenocorticotrophic hormone).

Identical biological effects of pancreatic glucagon and a purified moiety of canine gastric immunoreactive glucagon.

Because in the dog, the gastric fundus contains the largest amount of glucagon immunoreactivity (IRG), the IRG of mucosal scrapes of 105 canine stomachs was extracted by acid-ethanol and then precipitated by ether-ethanol. The IRG recovered was measured by antisera 30K, specific for glucagon and K-4023, which cross-reacts with glucagon-like immunoreactivity. Extracts of mucosa of stomach fundus were further purified by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-30 in 3M acetic acid. One pooled fraction corresponding to marker pancreatic glucagon in its elution volume was then gel-filtered on Bio-Gel P-30 in 0.05 M NH(4)HCO(3) and yielded one IRG peak, which, however, showed three immunoreactive components on polyacrylamide disc gel electrophoresis in urea. In addition, antiserum K-4023 reacted more strongly with that peak than antiserum 30K indicating the presence of glucagon-like immunoreactivity in this fraction. Subsequent ion-exchange column chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and then CM-Bio-Gel A allowed purification to a single protein band on disc gel electrophoresis reacting equally to both antisera 30K and K-4023. 1.5 mug of purified gastric glucagon was obtained and its biological effects were compared to those of pancreatic glucagon in isolated rat hepatocytes. When immuno-equivalent amounts (300-2,500 pg/ml) of either type of glucagon were used, the same biological responses with respect to glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis as well as urea, lactate, and pyruvate production were observed. Liver cyclic AMP was also raised to the same extent by either one of these hormones. We conclude that this moiety of gastric IRG is apparently identical to pancreatic glucagon because (a) their molecular weights, elution properties in ion exchange chromatography, and their electrophoretic mobility are indistinguishable and (b) both hormones elicited identical biological effects in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Mononuclear cell infiltration and its relation to the expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens and adhesion molecules in pancreas biopsy specimens from newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients.

We examined pancreas biopsy specimens from 18 newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients to elucidate the mechanism underlying beta cell destruction. Pancreas islets were seen in all patients and insulitis in eight patients. Infiltrating mononuclear cells consisted of CD4+T, CD8+T, B lymphocytes, and macrophages. Among them, CD8+T lymphocytes were predominant and macrophages followed. The expression of MHC class I antigens was increased in islet and endothelial cells in nine patients. MHC class II expression was increased in endothelial cells of the same patients. The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 was increased in endothelial cells in two of the nine patients with MHC hyperexpression; in one of them, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-3 expression was also increased. Out of the eight patients with insulitis, seven showed MHC class I hyper-expression, whereas 2 of the 10 patients without insulitis showed the phenomenon (P < 0.05). The relation between insulitis and the hyperexpression of adhesion molecules was not evident. In conclusion, we revealed the close relation between CD8+T lymphocyte-predominant insulitis and MHC class I hyperexpression in islet cells. This suggests that infiltrating CD8+T lymphocytes recognize islet autoantigens in association with increased MHC class I molecules and act as major effector cells in autoimmune response against islet cells in IDDM pancreases. The role of adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of IDDM still remains to be elucidated.

Preparation of monoiodotyrosine-13-glucagon.

Glucagon was iodinated with the lactoperoxidase method at pH 10.0 in the presence of propylene glycol using a substitution of 0.3 g-atom I/mol glucagon. Under these conditions the reactivity of the iodine to tyrosine at position 13 is found to be 4-fold that of the tyrosine at position 10. The amount of diiodotyrosine was less than one-twentieth that of the monoiodotyrosine at either tyrosine residue. Relatively pure monoiodo[125I]tyrosine-13-glucagon can be separated from other iodoglucagons by means of DEAE-chromatography. Such a homogeneous preparation with a known position of the iodine makes it possible to study a specific interaction between the monoiodoglucagon and the glucagon antisera or the glucagon receptor.

Avoidance of strongly chaotropic eluents for immunoaffinity chromatography by chemical modification of immobilized ligand.

The need for chaotropic eluents in immunoaffinity chromatography is a consequence of the high affinities of antibodies towards their antigens. This affinity is decreased and elution of antiglucagon antibodies from a column of immobilized glucagon can be achieved under mild conditions when the steric complementarity to the antibody binding site is perturbed by selective chemical modification of the hormone. The effects of reaction with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide, tetranitromethane and hydrogen peroxide have been studied. Conversely, treatment of immobilized antibodies with 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide facilitates the elution of glucagon during immunoaffinity chromatography. The general implications of these results are discussed.

Physicochemical and biological properties of glucagon-like polypeptides from porcine colon.

Polypeptide material displaying glucagon-like immunoreactivity was isolated from porcine colon using immunoaffinity chromatography. The immunoreactive material was tightly bound to high molecular weight proteins but was dissociated by 0.1% w/v sodium dodecyl sulphate solution into immunoreactive components of approximate molecular weights 12,000,8000,5000 and 3000. These components reacted at least 50 times more strongly with antibodies specific for the N-terminal region of glucagon than with antibodies specific for the C-terminal region of glucagon. While the 8000 and 3000 dalton fractions were homogeneous, the 12,000 and 5000 dalton fractions were resolved into multiple bands by isoelectric focusing. The 12,000 dalton fraction was devoid of glycogenolytic and lipolytic activity, was not insulin releasing and showed no ability to bind to receptor sites specific for glucagon on hepatic plasma membranes and to active hepatic adenylate cyclase. The 8000 and 5000 dalton components showed weak lipolytic activity. The possible significance of colonic glucagon-like immunoreactivity relative to pancreatic glucagon and immunoreactivity from other tissues is discussed.

Glucagon immunoreactivity and chromatographic profiles in pancreatectomized humans. Paradoxical response to oral glucose.

The nature and origin of plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) after pancreatectomy in humans remains controversial. Low plasma IRG levels and heterogeneity hamper accurate assessment. We studied plasma IRG levels and profiles in 12 patients 2-57 mo after a total pancreatectomy (with antrectomy and duodenectomy) for cancer (N = 9) or chronic pancreatitis (N = 3). After oral glucose, plasma IRG (with the COOH-terminal-specific 30K glucagon antibody) rose from 59 +/- 7 to a peak of 113 +/- 17 pg/ml at 60-120 min. Chromatographic profiles revealed four distinct IRG fractions. In every patient a plasma IRG fraction of 9000-15,000 Mr, detectable basally, increased markedly after oral glucose and accounted for the rise in total IRG observed in plasma. Nine of the 12 pancreatectomized subjects had no detectable 3500-Mr glucagon and the remaining 3 had very low levels. For the group as a whole, 3500-Mr IRG comprised 1-2% of the total recovered IRG. Two patients were also studied before pancreatectomy: suppressibility of glucagon (Mr 3500) was evident. After surgery this paradoxical response to oral glucose was demonstrated. Reproducibility of these responses was confirmed in two patients studied twice over 2 yr. Diabetic controls without pancreatectomy did not show this response. The absence or marked reduction of pancreatic glucagon was confirmed in five of the pancreatectomized patients after intravenous arginine or oral protein. Normal basal plasma IRG and profiles, oral glucose suppressibility, and arginine stimulation were present in five control patients with unresectable pancreatic malignancies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Glycoprotein-like large glucagon immunoreactive species in extracts of the fetal bovine pancreas.

Large glucagon immunoreactive substances, extracted from the fetal bovine pancreas and separated by gel filtration in the presence of 6 M guanidinium-hydrochloride, were submitted to lectin-sepharose affinity column chromatograph. Gel-filtered peak I (approximately 45 K delta) and peak II (approximately 10 K delta) interacted biospecifically with concanavalin-A- and wheat-germ-lectin-sepharoses, suggesting glycoproteins as possible constituents of large glucagon immunoreactive substances in extracts of the fetal bovine pancreas. The glucagon-like immunochemical identity of the lectin-sepharose-bound substances was further substantiated by binding to antiglucagon antibodies-sepharose and by characteristic proportional dilutions in the glucagon radioimmunoassay.

Guinea pig glucagon differs from other mammalian glucagons.

Mammalian glucagon is thought to be highly conserved. Glucagons from pig, cow, human, rat, and hamster have identical amino acid sequences, whereas the amino acid contents of rabbit and camel glucagons are consistent with this 29-amino acid sequence. It had earlier been reported that guinea pig (GP) glucagon contains 40 amino acids. In the current study, glucagon was purified from two GP pancreata by a series of three HPLC steps after acid-alcohol extraction and acetone precipitation. GP glucagon is a 29-amino acid peptide that differs from other mammalian glucagons by substitution of Gln for Asp in position 21, Leu for Val in position 23, Lys for Gln in position 24, Leu for Met in position 27, and Val for Thr in position 29. In view of the marked changes in the COOH-terminal of GP glucagon, receptor binding studies were performed using both rat and GP liver membranes. Labeled synthetic porcine glucagon has similar binding in the two systems and its binding is inhibited to a similar degree by synthetic porcine glucagon, whereas GP glucagon is 10-fold less potent at inhibiting binding in both systems. This suggests that glucagon receptor binding sites in the GP are evolutionarily more conserved than is GP glucagon.

Biosynthesis of glucagon (IRG3500) in canine gastric mucosa.

The canine gastric mucosa has previously been shown to contain considerable amounts of a polypeptide with the immunologic and physicochemical characteristics and biologic activity of glucagon (IRG3500). Using mucosal pieces that remained viable for at least 8 h, we have demonstrated that IRG3500 is synthesized in this extrapancreatic tissue. Gel filtration and electrophoresis of extracts of mucosal pieces incubated with 3H-tryptophan, 3H-leucine, or 35S-methionine revealed small amounts of labeled, newly synthesized gastric IRG3500. No labeling of gastric IRG3500 was observed when the mucosa was incubated with 3H-proline, an amino acid not found in glucagon, in the presence of cycloheximide, or in isolated rat hepatocytes. Small amounts of newly synthesized IRG3500 were specifically immunoprecipitated by C-terminally directed glucagon antiserum gamma globulins. The rate of gastric IRG3500 biosynthesis in vitro was apparently unchanged in mucosal pieces from pancreatectomized dogs and unaffected by increased glucose or glucose lack during incubations. Thus we have provided evidence that a hormone of the endocrine pancreas can be synthesized in extrapancreatic tissues.

Tissue and plasma concentrations of amidated and glycine-extended glucagon-like peptide I in humans.

Using specific radioimmunoassays, we studied the occurrence of amidated and glycine-extended glucagon-like peptide I (GLP-I) molecules in the human small intestine and pancreas and in the circulation system in response to a breakfast meal. Through gel permeation chromatography of extracts of the human pancreas (n = 5), we found that 71% of the GLP-I immunoreactivity eluted as a large molecule corresponding to the major proglucagon fragment, 24% corresponded to GLP-I 1-36 amide, and 5% to GLP-I 1-37. By gel permeation chromatography of extracts of human small intestine (n = 6), we found that all immunoreactivity eluted in one peak at the common elution position of the two insulin-releasing peptides, GLP-I 7-36 amide and GLP-I 7-37. Of the GLP-I immunoreactivity, 80% corresponded to GLP-I 7-36 amide and 20% to GLP-I 7-37. The mean concentrations of amidated GLP-I and glycine-extended GLP-I in fasting plasma were 7 +/- 1 and 6 +/- 1 pM, respectively (n = 6). In response to a breakfast meal, the concentration of amidated GLP-I rose significantly amounting to 41 +/- 5 pM 90 min after the meal ingestion, whereas the concentration of glycine-extended GLP-I only rose slightly to a maximum of 10 +/- 1 pM. Thus, both amidated and glycine-extended GLP-I molecules are produced in the small intestine and in the pancreas in humans. Both amidated and glycine-extended GLP-I are measurable in fasting plasma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Evidence of sequential metabolic cleavage of proglucagon to glucagon in glucagon biosynthesis.

Following a 30 min preincubation in medium containing no isotopes, anglerfish islet tissue was incubated in the presence of [3H]tryptophan and [14C]isoleucine for 20 min. A portion of the tissue was removed for immediate extraction. The remainder was washed thoroughly with unlabeled medium and post-incubated in medium containing an excess of unlabeled tryptophan and isoleucine for varying periods of time. The distribution of radioactive proteins in alcoholic tissue extracts was analyzed by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The distribution of immunoreactive glucagon was determined by radioimmunoassay. Following the 20 min pulse incubation, only proinsulin was labeled with [14C]isoleucine. Two glucagon immunoreactive molecules, one larger than proinsulin (mol wt near 11,400) and the other slightly smaller than proinsulin (mol wt near 9,000), were the primary proteins labeled with [3H]tryptophan following the 20 min. pulse. During chase incubations of increasing duration, 3H-radioactivity appeared in a glucagon immunoreactive molecule with the approximate molecular size of glucagon and increased with chase time while radioactivity in the 11,400 mol wt tryptophan-labeled molecule decreased. With increasing chase time, the 3H-radioactivity attributable to the 9,000 mol wt tryptophan-labeled molecule initially increased and subsequently decreased which is consistent with the pattern that would be expected for a conversion intermediate. The presence of glucagon immunoreactivity in [3H]tryptophan-labeled molecules having molecular weights near that of proinsulin was established by radioimmunoassay of alternate gel slices following electrophoresis of labeled proteins recovered from the proinsulin containing portions of gel filtration eluates. That [14C]isoleucine became incorporated into insulin and [3H]tryptophan became incorporated into glucagon was established by determination of the distribution of radioactivity in polyacrylamide gels following electrophoresis of labeled proteins recovered from the insulin and glucagon containing portions of gel filtration eluates. These results provide preliminary evidence for sequential metabolic cleavage of proglucagon in glucagon biosynthesis.

Monoiodoglucagon: synthesis, purification by high pressure liquid chromatography, and characteristics as a receptor probe.

The synthesis of [125I-Tyr10]monoiodoglucagon from glucagon and carrier-free 125I using 1,3,4,6-tetrachloro-3-6-diphenylglycouril (Iodogen) and its separation in pure form by reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) over C18-muBondapak columns using two consecutive linear gradients between solvent A [40:60 mixture of methanol and 10 mM H3PO4 in H2O (pH adjusted to 3.0 with triethylamine)] and solvent B (50:50 mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 M Tris-HCl, pH 9.0) is reported. The newly synthesized [125I]monoiodoglucagon is shown to activate adenylyl cyclase in liver membranes with an EC50 between 5- and 8-fold lower than that of native glucagon. Further, it binds specifically to sites on liver plasma membranes that have the characteristics of glucagon receptors in terms of guanine nucleotide sensitivity and rates of reaction. It is suggested that [125I-Tyr10]monoiodoglucagon is a suitable probe for studying structural and functional properties of glucagon receptors.

Purification and characterization of insulin, glucagon, and two glucagon-like peptides with insulin-releasing activity from the pancreas of the toad, Bufo marinus.

Insulin and four peptides derived from the posttranslational processing of proglucagon have been isolated in pure form from the pancreas of the cane toad, Bufo marinus. Although Bufo insulin contains 9 amino acid substitutions, compared with human insulin, all those residues that are considered to be involved in receptor-binding and in dimer and hexamer formation have been conserved. Bufo insulin was, however, more potent (4-fold) than human insulin in inhibiting the binding of [125I-Tyr-A14] insulin to the soluble full-length recombinant human insulin receptor, which is probably a consequence of the substitution (Thr --> His) at position A-8. Bufo glucagon was isolated in two molecular forms: glucagon-29 shows only one amino acid substitution (Thr29 --> Ser), compared with human glucagon; and glucagon-36 comprises glucagon-29, extended from its C-terminus by Lys-Arg-Ser-Gly-Gly-Met-Ser. The human proglucagon gene contains one copy of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, a potent insulin secretogogue, and one copy of GLP-2 that is devoid of insulin-releasing activity. In contrast, two proglucagon-derived peptides with 32- and 37-amino acid residues (GLP-32 and GLP-37), displaying greater structural similarity to human GLP-1 than to GLP-2, were isolated from Bufo pancreas. Both peptides produced concentration-dependent increases in insulin release from glucose-responsive rat insulinoma-derived BRIN-BD11 cells. The threshold concentrations producing a significant (P < 0.001) effect were 10(-8) M (GLP-32) and 10(-9) M (GLP-37), and the maximum increase in the rate of insulin release produced by 10(-6) M concentrations of both peptides was approximately 5-fold.