Elsevier

Peptides

Volume 17, Issue 3, 1996, Pages 489-495
Peptides

Article
Locations and molecular forms of gastrin-releasing peptide-like immunoreactive entities in ovine pregnancy

https://doi.org/10.1016/0196-9781(96)00003-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Large quantities of gastrin-releasing peptide-like immunoreactivity (GRP-LI) are present in ovine pregnancy fluids (allantoic fluid > fetal plasma > esophageal fluid = amniotic fluid = urine > maternal plasma) and in term endometrium (60 ± 29 pmol·g−1) and myometrium (4.5 ± 1.2 pmol·g−1). The larger molecular size [greater than GRP(1–27)] of this GRP-LI entity is not due to a GRP binding protein nor to a C-terminal extension of GRP. In contrast, ovine fetal colon extracts appear to contain the usual GRP(1–27) and GRP(18–27) forms. Hence, the uterus, not the fetus, is the probable source of this novel GRP-like peptide. It apparently acts as a hormone in ovine pregnancy and may play an important role in fetal-placental development.

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