Radioimmunoassay of β-MSH in Human Plasma and Tissues

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Abstract

A radioimmunoassay method for β-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (β-MSH) has been developed and utilized in the identification and quantification of this hormone in human plasma and tissues. The concentration of β-MSH in two human pituitary glands was found to be approximately 350 μg/g. β-MSH was identified in the tumor tissue of all 11 patients with the ectopic ACTH syndrome who were studied; concentrations in individual cases ranged from 3 to 1600 ng/g. In plasma of chronically hyperpigmented patients with Addison's disease, Cushing's disease (after bilateral adrenalectomy), and the ectopic ACTH syndrome, β-MSH concentrations of 0.5-6 ng/ml were found. The degree of clinical hyperpigmentation was well correlated with the quantity of β-MSH in the plasma. β-MSH concentrations in the plasma of normal subjects were less than 0.09 ng/ml. In all of these circumstances, bioassays for MSH were also performed, and it was found that most of the biologic MSH activity of the plasma and tissues could be accounted for by β-MSH.

Authors

Kaoru Abe, Wendell E. Nicholson, Grant W. Liddle, Donald P. Island, David N. Orth