Enterostatin (Val-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg)-like immunoreactivity in rat urine: relationship to corticosterone output.

Numerous studies have documented a role for enterostatins in appetitive behavior. However, due to the lack of knowledge about the distribution of enterostatins in tissues and body fluids, it has not been possible to examine the role of endogenous enterostatin in this process. To this end, using a polyclonal antibody raised against enterostatin -- Val-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg (VPDPR), we examined the nature and distribution of enterostatin-like immunoreactivity in the rat urine by ELISA and chromatography. The results reported here show for the first time the presence of VPDPR-like immunoreactivity (VPDPR-LI) in rat urine. Further characterization of rat urine VPDPR-LI revealed that it is not due to VPDPR but to another peptide similar to VPDPR. Furthermore, as urinary excretion of corticosterone increases, the level of VPDPR-LI in urine decreases.