Pure human big gastrin. Immunochemical properties, disappearance half time, and acid-stimulating action in dogs.

Biological properties of pure natural human "big gastrin" (designated G-34 because it contains 34 amino acid residues) were compared with those of pure natural heptadecapeptide gastrins (G-17) from human and porcine sources. Radioimmunoassay inhibition curves indicated that G-17 was nearly 1.5 times more potent than G-34 with the antibody used in this study. This difference was confirmed by demonstration of increased immunoreactivity generated when G-34 was converted to G-17 by trypsinization. When infused intravenously into dogs with gastric fistulas and Heidenhain pouches in equimolar doses, G-34 produced slightly higher acid secretory responses than G-17. Responses to sulfated and nonsulfated forms were not significantly different, nor were responses to human and porcine G-17. During infusion of equimolar doses, steady-state serum gastrin concentrations were more than fivefold higher with G-34 than with G-17. The difference in steady-state blood concentrations could be accounted for by a corresponding difference in removal rates. The half times of the G-34 preparations averaged 15.8 min and the half times of the G-17 preparations averaged 3.2 min. The calculated spaces of distribution for G-17 and G-34 were similar, about 25% of body weight. When the increment in serum gastrin was plotted against acid secretory response it was found that nearly five times greater increments in molar concentrations of G-34 than of G-17 were required to produce the same rate of acid secretion. The potency of these two molecular forms of gastrin can be expressed in two different ways. Based on exogenous molar doses, the potencies of G-34 and G-17 were similar. However, based on molar increments in serum gastrin concentration, G-17 was approximately five times more potent than G-34. Hence, fractionation of these gastrin components may be important in estimation of the acid-stimulating action represented by total serum gastrin as measured by radio-immunoassay.