Effect of Toluene on Bovine Growth Hormone and Prolactin in Pituitary Extracts

Abstract

After treatment of alkaline extracts of bovine pituitary glands with small amounts of toluene, the growth hormone band, as seen by gel-electrophoresis, was greatly diminished. The decrease was verified by immunodiffusion, but the tibial line assay for growth hormone indicated only a small lowering of biological activity. Using Il31-labeled growth hormone, it was found that the hormone was altered to a form that was too large to penetrate the electrophoretic gel. The altered hormone also passed unretarded through Sephadex G-150. An atypical electrophoretic behavior for prolactin was seen with extracts made from glands that had been stored frozen for several months or that had been allowed to autolyze at 25 [degree]C for 16 hr. Treatment of the extract with toluene permitted the prolactin to migrate normally. No abnormal migration for prolactin was detected in extracts of fresh glands. However, the abnormal behavior could be produced by addition of a fatty acid to the extract. Toluene prevented the alteration produced by the fatty acid.