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Pituitary and Plasma Lipotropins: Demonstration of the Artifactual Nature of βMSH

Departments of Medicine and Physiology, Harbor General Hospital Torrance, California

Evidence has been presented by others that βSMSH immunoreactivity in human plasma is due to β and lipotropin rather than βMSH. We have studied this question in normal subjects utilizing a sensitive human /3MSH radioimmunoassay capable of quantifying βMSH in unextracted plasma with a sensitivity of 7.5 pg/ml. Purified human /3 lipotropin cross-reacted 30% on a molar basis with synthetic human βMSH in this assay. ACTH related peptides showed <0.1% cross-reactivity. Normal values at 0800 h were 19.6±2.4 pg/ml and suppressed to 9.3±1.3 pg/ml following dexamethasone. Metyrapone increased 0800 h values to 379.6±89.9 pg/ml. Chromatographic studies on Sephadex G-50 demonstrated no /3MSH per se in human pituitaries, plasma from metyrapone treated normals, patients with Cushing's disease, Nelson's syndrome, or Addison's disease. βMSH immunoreactivity showed the elution pattern of βlipotropin.

^* Present address: Ivan Bachelot, M.D., C.H.U. de Grenoble, 38.700 La Tronche, France.

Supported by NCI Contract No. NOI-CB-43903. Dr. Bachelot was supported by the Council for Int'l Exch. of Persons (Sr. Fulbright-Hays Program Travel Grant

These studies were presented at the Western section of the American Federation for Clinical Research, Feb. 1976, Carmel, California.

Received August 9, 1977.

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