The characteristics of hGH binding to the liver macrophages.

Macrophages isolated from female rat liver as well as hepatocytes bind 125I-hGH. This study compares the effect of sex of the rat, hypophysectomy (hypox) and preincubation of the cells with oPrl on the binding of 125I-hGH to the cells. The percent of 125I-hGH to the hepatocytes was decreased in cells from hypox female and male rats, and hepatocytes preincubated with oPrl to 0.43, 0.21 and 0.39, respectively, of that observed in hepatocytes from normal female rats. In the hepatocytes from normal female, hypox female, and male rats, hGH was the most effective competitor for 125I-hGH binding with an ID50 of 0.73-0.99 nM. The concentration of oPrl, bGH and rGH that produced half-maximal inhibition (ID50) of 125I-hGH binding to hepatocytes from female rat liver was 6.3, 100, and 420 nM respectively. In hepatocytes from male and hypox female rats, and hepatocytes preincubated with oPrl, the ID50 for bGH and rGH varied from 2.1 to 15.9 nM. The percent of 125I-hGH bound by the macrophages from hypox female and male rats, and macrophages preincubated with oPrl was 0.06, 0.15 and 0.18, respectively, of that bound by macrophages from normal female rat liver. In contrast to hGH binding to the hepatocytes, the ID50 for hGH was 6 to 180-fold greater in macrophages from hypox female and male rats, and macrophages preincubated with oPrl compared to that observed in macrophages from normal female rats, Rat GH was the most effective competitor for 125I-hGH binding in the macrophages from the hypox female and male rat liver with ID50 of 5.5 and 85 respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)