Purification and structural characterization of parathyroid hypertensive factor.

Parathyroid hypertensive factor (PHF) has been purified from two sources of material: plasma of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and culture medium from organ culture of SHR parathyroid glands. Chromatographic characteristics of PHF from these two sources are identical. Biological activity of PHF (assayed as the characteristic delayed hypertensive response in normotensive rats) is sensitive to degradation by treatment in base, and the enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin, phospholipase C, and phospholipase D. PHF activity may also be extracted from source material with chloroform: methanol (4:1). A hypothetical structure for the active component of PHF is suggested. This is comprised of a peptide liked to a lysophospholipid.