Faculty Bibliography

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the metabolism and inactivation of gastrin releasing peptide 10 (GRP10) by endopeptidase-24.11 prepared from the stomach wall. GRP10 was metabolized in vitro by gastric endopeptidase-24.11. The metabolites were purified by high-pressure liquid chromatography and identified as (1-8) GRP10 and (9-10) GRP10 by amino acid analysis, indicating hydrolysis of the His8-Leu9 bond. The intravenous administration of GRP10 to conscious dogs stimulated gastrin release, gastric acid secretion, pancreatic protein secretion and pancreatic bicarbonate secretion. Incubation of GRP10 with endopeptidase-24.11 significantly diminished the biological activity of the digests compared to control digests containing heat-inactivated enzyme. This effect was abolished by the enzyme inhibitor phosphoramidon. It is concluded that endopeptidase-24.11 from the stomach metabolizes and inactivates GRP10.

The coexistence of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and somatostatin (SS) within the stomach and pancreas and the potent inhibitory effects of both peptides on exocrine secretions from these organs suggest that they are functionally related. To assess the potential role of SS in the mediation of CGRP action, the effects of intravenous human CGRP (64, 132, and 264 pmol.kg-1.h-1) and somatostatin-14 (SS-14; 100, 400, and 800 pmol.kg-1.h-1) on plasma levels of SS immunoreactivity (SS-IR) and on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric and pancreatic secretion were compared in conscious dogs. CGRP caused significant inhibition of gastric acid (85-102%), pancreatic protein (63-86%), and pancreatic bicarbonate (74-89%) outputs and a simultaneous dose-related rise (40-102 fmol/ml) in plasma SS-IR. Cessation of CGRP infusion resulted in prompt return of plasma SS-IR to basal levels and an increase in gastric and pancreatic secretion. Although CGRP is a potent releasor of SS into the circulation, its inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion cannot be explained solely by a rise in plasma SS-IR. In the pancreas, in contrast to the stomach, inhibition appears to be more closely related to a rise in circulating level of SS-IR.

The purpose of this investigation is to examine the metabolism and inactivation of human and porcine gastrin 17 (nonsulfated) (G-17) and cholecystokinin octapeptide (sulfated) (CCK-8) by gastric endopeptidase 24.11. Endopeptidase 24.11 was isolated by immunoaffinity chromatography using a monoclonal antibody to the kidney enzyme. Peptides were incubated with endopeptidase 24.11. The digests were either fractionated by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and the products identified by amino acid analysis or they were used for bioassays. Digests of human gastrin were assayed for stimulation of acid secretion in the anesthetized rat, and cholecystokinin digests were assayed for the stimulation of amylase secretion from isolated rat pancreatic acini. Human G-17 was degraded by cleavage of the Trp4-Leu5,Ala11-Tyr12,Gly13-Trp14,Trp14 -Met15, and Asp16-Phe17-NH2 bonds, and the fragments (1-16), (1-13), (1-11), (1-4), (5-11), (5-13), (12-13), (12-14), (14-16), and (17-NH2) were identified. Porcine G-17 was degraded by hydrolysis of the Ala11-Tyr12,Gly13-Trp14, and Asp16-Phe17-NH2 bonds producing (1-16), (1-13), (1-11), (12-13), (14-16), and (17-NH2) fragments. CCK-8 was degraded by hydrolysis of the Gly4-Trp5 and Asp7-Phe8-NH2 bonds, and the fragments (1-7), (1-4), (5-7), (5-8), and (8-NH2) were identified. There was a progressive decline in the biological activity with incubation time.

The purpose of this investigation was to isolate the cell-surface enzyme endopeptidase-24.11 from the stomach wall of the pig and to examine the hydrolysis of the gastric neuropeptides. Endopeptidase-24.11 was isolated from gastric membranes by immunoadsorbent chromatography using a monoclonal antibody to porcine kidney endopeptidase-24.11. The enzyme was purified with a yield of 1.2 micrograms/g wet wt of fundic muscle. A single polypeptide chain of apparent subunit molecular weight of 90,000 was identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gastric endopeptidase-24.11 hydrolyzed substance P, gastrin-releasing peptide 10, [Leu5] enkephalin, and [Met5] enkephalin by cleavage of peptide bonds on the N-terminal side of hydrophobic amino acids. The enzymatic activity was inhibited completely by phosphoramidon (10(-6) M) and strongly by 1,10-phenanthroline (10(-3) M), but was unaffected by captopril (10(-5) M).

Peptide hormones and neurotransmitters play an essential role in regulation of cellular metabolism. Once released from an endocrine cell or nerve ending, peptides encounter membrane-bound and soluble peptidases. The peptidases inactivate peptides or form fragments with novel biologic activity. Therefore, peptidases must play a major role in homeostatic control, but this aspect of regulation has been a neglected area. This review examines the postsecretory metabolism of biologically active peptides in the brain and alimentary tract, 2 organs in which peptide regulation is of crucial importance.

Hydrolysis of heptadecapeptide gastrin (G-17) by endopeptidase 24.11 (EC 3.4.24.11) was studied in vivo and in vitro in the pig. Ion exchange chromatography and radioimmunoassay with three region-specific antisera were used to identify the products of porcine G-17 degradation. Incubation of antral extracts with pure endopeptidase 24.11 resulted in a substantial loss of intact G-17: 80% C-terminal immunoreactivity was lost in 60 min. This hydrolysis was completely inhibited by phosphoramidon, which is a specific inhibitor of endopeptidase 24.11. In antral extracts G-17 accounted for greater than 95% of total C-terminal immunoreactivity, compared with less than 60% C-terminal immunoreactivity in the gastric venous outflow; shorter C-terminal forms comprised the major part of the remaining immunoreactivity. After infusion of phosphoramidon, the concentration of intact G-17 was increased, and there was a corresponding reduction in the concentration of other C-terminal immunoreactive fragments. We conclude that endopeptidase 24.11 degrades G-17 in vitro and in vivo and may be responsible for the generation of C-terminal fragments from G-17 after secretion from the porcine antral mucosa.

The mammalian small intestine is both a source and a site of degradation of neurotensin. Metabolites produced by incubation of the peptide with dispersed enterocytes from porcine small intestine were isolated by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by amino-acid analysis. The principal sites of cleavage were at the Tyr-11-Ile-12 bond, generating neurotensin-(1-11), and at the Pro-10-Tyr-11 bond, generating neurotensin-(1-10). The corresponding COOH-terminal fragments, neurotensin-(11-13) and -(12-13) were metabolized further. Formation of neurotensin-(1-11) and -(1-10) was completely inhibited by phosphoramidon (Ki = 6 nM), an inhibitor of endopeptidase 24.11, but not by captopril, an inhibitor of peptidyl dipeptidase A. Incubation of neurotensin with purified endopeptidase 24.11 from pig stomach also resulted in cleavage of the Tyr-11-Ile-12 and Pro-10-Tyr-11 bonds. A minor pathway of cell-surface-mediated degradation was the phosphoramidon-insensitive cleavage of the Tyr-3-Glu-4 bond, generating neurotensin-(1-3) and neurotensin-(4-13). No evidence for specific binding sites (putative receptors) for neurotensin was found either on the intact enterocyte or on vesicles prepared from the basolateral membranes of the cells. Neurotensin-(1-8), the major circulating metabolite, was not formed when neurotensin(1-13) was incubated with cells, but represented a major metabolite (together with neurotensin-(1-10] when neurotensin-(1-11) was used as substrate. The study has shown that degradation of neurotensin in the epithelial layer of the small intestine is mediated principally through the action of endopeptidase 24.11, but this enzyme is probably not responsible for the production of the neurotensin fragments detected in the circulation.

Immunoreactive forms of gastrin in antral mucosal extracts and in gastric venous plasma of the pig were compared using ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography and radioimmunoassay using three region-specific antiserums. In antral mucosal extracts, gastrin heptadecapeptide (G-17) accounted for over 90% of the total C-terminal immunoreactivity, but in gastric venous plasma it accounted for only 47% of total C-terminal immunoreactivity. The remaining C-terminal immunoreactivity was accounted for by shorter C-terminal forms. Unsulfated and sulfated G-17 contributed 44.1 and 49.2%, respectively, of C-terminal immunoreactivity in antral mucosa. In contrast, they contributed 14 and 30%, respectively, to total C-terminal immunoreactivity in gastric venous plasma. Incubation of antral extracts with plasma in vitro resulted in a slow loss of intact G-17 (32.3% in 60 min) that could not account for the production of C-terminal fragments in vivo. Moreover, when antral extracts were infused into the gastroepiploic artery, over 90% of the gastrin present in the antral venous outflow corresponded to G-17. These observations suggest that it is unlikely that enzymes involved in the generation of the C-terminal forms are located either in blood or on the luminal side of the endothelial membrane. It is proposed, then, that antral gastrin is converted into shorter C-terminal fragments at or before the time it enters the circulation and that the major storage forms of gastrin in tissue account for less than 50% of the material in the gastric venous outflow.

Cells containing gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) and glucagon immunoreactivity were localized in the alimentary tract of the adult sheep, young lamb, calf and goat kid by indirect immunocytochemistry, using antisera raised to the porcine peptides. GIP and glucagon were localized in two distinct cell populations. Cells containing immunoreactive GIP were confined to the mucosa of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum and were not observed in the forestomachs, abomasum, large intestine and pancreas. Cells containing immunoreactive glucagon were distributed widely throughout the alimentary tract but were most numerous in the pancreatic islets and the ileum. Neither GIP nor glucagon-containing cells were observed in the forestomachs. The distribution of the peptides was similar in adult and young animals. Both cell types appeared to possess an apical projection into the glandular lumen of the alimentary tract. Pre-absorption of the primary antisera with the appropriate peptide antigen abolished the staining.

A novel stimulant of gastric acid secretion was extracted and purified from the non-antral gastric mucosa of the canine stomach and some of its biological properties were examined. Tissue was boiled in water and extracted in 2% trifluoroacetic acid. The stimulatory activity was purified by a combination of reverse-phase high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gel filtration. Fractions were assayed for a stimulation of basal, pentagastrin- and histamine-stimulated gastric acid secretion in the anaesthetized rat. Stimulatory activity was eluted from reverse-phase HPLC columns with acetonitrile and its elution from Sephadex G-10 and G-50 columns suggested a molecular weight of 1,000 to 3,000. The highly purified extracts enhanced basal, pentagastrin- and histamine-stimulated acid secretion in the rat. A stimulatory fraction was purified which was devoid of immunoreactive gastrin and gastrin-releasing peptide and contained only small amounts of histamine. Its chromatographic properties differed from those of histamine and acetylcholine. On two occasions the stimulant was purified to homogeneity and found to contain amino acids. Insufficient pure material was obtained for full characterization. The stimulant has been tentatively called oxyntin.