Abstract
To characterize the putative seminal growth promoting factor serendipitously observed when human seminal plasma was analyzed for bioactive FSH. A pool of human seminal plasma was subjected to sequential Sephadex G-75 (superfine) chromatography and high-performance size exclusion liquid chromatography. The fractions were tested for mitogenic activity using a rat granulosa cell assay and normal rat kidney (NRK) cells. Properties of the factor were established and characterization by gel electrophoresis and neutralization with antibody were accomplished. Reproductive Biology Research Laboratory at McMaster University Medical Centre. Ability of purified fractions of human seminal plasma to augment the uptake of tritiated thymidine into cell DNA. Mitogenic activity of human seminal plasma was augmented in the presence of FSH but not hCG, PRL, E2, T, P, or dihydrotestosterone. The putative growth factor synergized with insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) but not with TGF-alpha. Mitogenic activity was neutralized by a specific TGF-alpha antibody in a dose-dependent manner. The molecular weight of the factor as assessed by gel electrophoresis is 6 kd. Human seminal plasma contains a mitogen that is similar to TGF-alpha.
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