Hormones with adrenocorticotropic and opiate-like activities from the carp ( cyprinus carpio) pituitary

Abstract

1. Carp ( Cyprinus carpio) pituitary acetone powder was extracted with a mixture of water, hydrochloric acid and acetone. An acid acetone powder was formed by adding the pituitary extract into a large volume of chilled acetone and subsequently recovering the precipitate. 2. The powder was subjected to ion exchange chromatography on CM cellulose. 3. Fractions adsorbed on the ion exchanger exhibited ACTH-like activity as evidenced in the ability to stimulate lipolysis in isolated hamster adipocytes and corticosterone production in isolated rat adrenal decapsular cells and also in cross-reactivity in an ACTH-specific radioimmunoassay. A portion of the ACTH-like bioactivity and immunoactivity was unadsorbed on the ion exchanger. 4. Opiate-like activity in opiate receptor binding assay, employing [ 3H] d-ala 2- d-leu 5 enkephalin or [ 3H]naloxone as ligand, also resided in fractions adsorbed on CM cellulose. 5. The data indicate a separation of ACTH-like and opiate-like activities, and the presence of opiate-like molecules with different affinities of binding to μ and δ opiate receptors.