Complex effects of antibodies to polypeptide hormones

Augmentation of hormonal activities with antibodies from cattle immunized with a combination of synthetic and recombinant growth hormone peptide

Antibodies generated against a synthetic growth hormone (GH) peptide in a number of animal species were shown to enhance the efficacy of GH. However, the ability to produce the effective antibodies diminished over time and repeated boosters failed to overcome the hurdle. Therefore, this study was designed to address the issue on the failed antibody responses by employing different GH peptide antigen preparations in cattle. Holstein steers were repeatedly immunized with a synthetic peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence 54-95 of porcine GH (pGH). The peptide was conjugated to ovalbumin (OVA) as a carrier. Animals initially responded to the antigen well and elicited antibodies specific to the peptide. However, the 4th challenge with the same OVA-peptide antigen rendered animals unresponsive, resulting in a decline in antibody production. This unresponsiveness was overcome by switching the antigen at the 5th immunization from OVA-peptide to a recombinant peptide preparation which was composed of maltose binding protein (MBP) as a carrier. Antibodies generated in cattle after the 5th immunization recognized not only the pGH(54-95) peptide, but also bovine GH (bGH) and pGH. These antibodies were not immunoreactive with an unrelated control peptide. Hypophysectomized (hypox) rats were used for functional analysis and bGH was active in promoting the growth of these GH-deficient rats. The growth-promoting effect of bGH was significantly enhanced by mixing it with bovine anti-peptide antibodies prior to administration. Therefore, the present findings suggest that peptide 54-95 induces cattle to elicit antibodies capable of not only recognizing bGH but also augmenting the somatogenic effectiveness of bGH in hypox rats.

Augmentation of hormonal activities with antibodies from cattle immunized with a combination of synthetic and recombinant growth hormone peptide

Antibodies generated against a synthetic growth hormone (GH) peptide in a number of animal species were shown to enhance the efficacy of GH. However, the ability to produce the effective antibodies diminished over the time and repeated boosters failed to overcome the hurdle. Therefore, this study was designed to address the issue on the fallen antibody responses by employing different GH peptide antigen preparations in cattle. Holstein steers were repeatedly immunized with a synthetic peptide corresponding to an amino acid sequence 54-95 of porcine GH (pGH). The peptide was conjugated to ovalbumin (OVA) as a carrier. Animals initially responded to the antigen well and elicited antibodies specific to the peptide. However, the 4th challenge with the same OVA-peptide antigen rendered animals unresponsive, resulting in a decline in antibody production. This unresponsiveness was overcome by switching the antigen at the 5th immunization from OVA-peptide to a recombinant peptide preparation which was composed of maltose binding protein (MBP) as a carrier. Antibodies generated in cattle after the 5th immunization recognized not only the pGH(54-95) peptide, but also bovine GH (bGH) and pGH. These antibodies were not immunoreactive with an unrelated control peptide. Hypophysectomized (hypox) rats were used for functional analysis and bGH was active in promoting the growth of these GH-deficient rats. The growth-promoting effect of bGH was significantly enhanced by mixing with bovine anti-peptide antibodies prior to administration. Therefore, the present findings suggest that peptide 54-95 induces cattle to elicit antibodies capable of not only recognizing bGH but also augmenting the somatogenic effectiveness of bGH in hypox rats.

Enhancement of the insulin antagonistic effect of porcine somatotropin in swine using a monoclonal antibody

A monoclonal antibody (mAb), PS-7.6, to porcine somatotropin (pST) significantly enhanced the growth responses to pST injections in hypophysectomized (hypox) rats but could not be tested in pigs because of the large quantity of antibody required for a growth trial. Because pST inhibits the hypoglycemic effects of insulin, an insulin tolerance test procedure was established to measure pST activity in jugular-catheterized pigs. Doses of 0, 30, 100, and 300 micrograms/kg per day of pST were split and administered subcutaneously (sc) in equal portions twice daily for 2 d. After a 17-hr fast, plasma samples were obtained at 10-min intervals for 30 min before an intravenous injection of insulin (0.08 IU/kg) and then for an additional 50 min. Because pST increased fasting plasma glucose concentrations, preinsulin glucose values were used as a covariate to adjust the postinsulin concentrations. pST caused a dose-dependent increase in resistance to the insulin injection in these pigs. The areas under the curves (AUC), for plasma glucose were 22.1, 29.0, 39.0, and 47.2 mg/dl per min for the 0, 30, 100, and 300 micrograms/kg pST doses, respectively. Because different doses of pST could be detected, the PS-7.6 enhancement of pST treatment was evaluated. In the first experiment, five pigs/group each received sc injections of either vehicle, pST (75 micrograms/kg; approximately 3.0 mg/d), pST (75 micrograms/kg) + PS-7.6 at 3.75 mg/kg, or pST (75 micrograms/kg) + PS-7.6 at 15 mg/kg for 2 d before the insulin test. The pST and PS-7.6 were combined and incubated for at least 1 hr at room temperature before being injected. The injection of pST alone did not significantly change insulin tolerance activity (23.1 vs. 21.1, AUC), but insulin resistance was enhanced when this dose of pST also included PS-7.6 (27.4 and 29.5, AUC, respectively; P < 0.05). In a second experiment, the effects of PS-7.6 and PS-4.2, a mAb that did not potentiate the pST-stimulated growth of hypox rats, were compared. The five pigs/treatment received either vehicle, pST (75 micrograms/kg), pST (75 micrograms/kg) + PS-7.6 (3.75 mg/kg), or pST (75 micrograms/kg) + PS-4.2 (3.75 mg/kg) for 2 d. The administration of pST increased the resistance to insulin (26.7 vs. 18.8, AUC; P < 0.01), which was markedly potentiated by PS-7.6 (54.3, AUC, P < 0.001) but not affected by PS-4.2 (27.6 AUC). The injection of PS-7.6 at 7.5 mg/kg without exogenous pST did not alter the sensitivity to insulin. These results indicate that PS-7.6, but not PS-4.2, enhanced the insulin antagonistic activity of pST in swine, suggesting that an enhancement of pST-stimulated growth would also occur in PS-7.6-treated pigs.

Immunological effect of a synthetic growth hormone peptide on the growth performance in swine

A mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated PS-7.6, was previously shown to enhance the activity of porcine growth hormone (pGH) in promoting the growth of hypophysectomized (hypox) rats. Epitope mapping studies indicated that the region recognized by PS-7.6 resided within an amino acid sequence 54-95 of pGH. A peptide corresponding to this sequence was synthesized and found to induce swine antibodies capable of augmenting pGH activity in hypox rats. On the basis of these previous observations, an attempt was made in this study to determine whether or not the peptide pGH(54-95) could be used as a vaccine to elicit antibodies functionally similar to PS-7.6 mAb, thus potentiating the efficacy of endogenous GH in swine. Young pigs (15-20 kg) were immunized with pGH(54-95) that had been conjugated with ovalbumin (OVA) and boosted twice at 4-week intervals. Control animals were similarly immunized with OVA. The weight gains and feed consumption of these animals were closely monitored throughout the trials. A number of carcass parameters were also examined when these animals reached 110-120 kg, at which time they were killed. Results indicated that immunization with peptide significantly accelerated the daily weight gain during the growing phase of growth. However, this effect disappeared during the finishing phase of growth. The failure to prolong the initial growth effect by the peptide immunization apparently correlated with the kinetics of antibody production, because antibodies immunoreactive to the peptide and pGH were detected in these animals after immunization but gradually diminished. This idea was supported by the fact that antibodies obtained from pigs 5 and 9 weeks after the initial immunization potentiated the activity of pGH in hypox rats, whereas antibodies harvested at week 16 did not. Furthermore, carcass evaluation was performed at time of killing and showed that the leaf fat and loin eye muscle were also significantly improved by peptide immunization. Taken together, the present findings suggest that pGH(54-95) peptide can be employed as a potential growth-promoting vaccine to improve the performance of swine.

A proposed mechanism of action of a growth hormone-specific monoclonal antibody in the enhancement of hormonal activity

The potentiation of the biological activity of recombinant porcine growth hormone (pGH) by immunologic manipulation was investigated. An anti-pGH monoclonal antibody, designated PS-7.6, was generated and its effect on pGH was evaluated in hypophysectomized (hypox) rats. As expected, administration with pGH for 5 consecutive days promoted these animals to grow. The effect was further augmented when pGH was given together with PS-7.6 antibody and the enhancing ability of the antibody lasted beyond the treatment period. The growth profile of rats receiving antibody alone did not differ from that of untreated controls, indicating that PS-7.6 antibody by itself was not a growth stimulant. The possible mechanism of action of the antibody was investigated by analyzing blood and tissue samples of animals following injection with 125I-labeled pGH either in its free form or complexed with PS-7.6 antibody. As compared to the pGH levels in animals receiving free pGH, approximately a half pGH was released into circulation from the injection sites when it was given in a complex form. Furthermore, 2-4-fold increases in pGH deposition were also found in various tissues of animals treated with pGH-antibody complexes over that of respective tissues of animals receiving free pGH. Therefore, the present findings suggest that PS-7.6 antibody is capable of augmenting the somatogenesis of pGH and the effect is, at least in part, explainable by its ability in altering the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of pGH in animals.

Antibody-mediated enhancement of hormone activity

The enhancement of hormone activity by antibodies has been known for many years; however, investigation into the molecular basis of the phenomenon has only recently begun. A number of mechanisms for this enhancement, including "buffering" or slow release, bivalency and Fc region, and conformational and receptor "restriction" effects, have been documented or proposed. The availability of panels of monoclonal antibodies of distinct combining site specificity have aided in these studies and contributed substantially to our understanding of hormone-receptor interactions.

Active immunization to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone to inhibit the induction of mammary tumors in the rat

Immunization of female rats with a bovine serum albumin-luteinizing hormone releasing hormone conjugate results in suppression of dimethylbenzanthracene mammary tumor incidence. Tumor incidence was 1.3, and 1.29 tumors per rat in bovine serum albumin alone (n = 10) and unimmunized (n = 18) control groups, but no tumors were found in the bovine serum albumin-luteinizing hormone releasing hormone conjugate immunized animals (n = 10). In a second experiment immunization with bovine serum albumin-luteinizing hormone releasing hormone conjugates reduced tumor incidence to 0.3 tumors per rat (n = 10) from the 1.2 tumors per animal seen in the control animals (n = 10) immunized with bovine serum albumin alone. Bovine serum albumin-luteinizing hormone immunization caused the production of anti-LHRH antibodies, an interruption of estrous cycles, lowered serum estradiol and progesterone levels, and atrophy of the ovaries and uteri. Immunization BSA-hormone conjugates is a novel anti-tumor strategy.

Endogenous antibodies to bovine lactoperoxidase in children and adolescents

Sera from 146 children and adolescents (70 girls and 76 boys, median age 6 years; range 8 months - 18 years) were analysed for the presence of antibodies to bovine lactoperoxidase (LPO) using a solid-phase immunosorbent radioassay. LPO antibodies were present in all but one serum. The antibody titres varied from 1/5 to greater than 1/5000 (final dilutions). Most of the individuals had antibody titres between 1/50 to 1/5000. Because of the frequent occurrence of LPO antibodies in human beings, the presence of LPO antibodies in the serum must be regarded as a physiological phenomenon.

Antibodies to 5,6-dihydroprostaglandin I2 trap endogenously produced prostaglandin I2 in the rat circulation

Rabbit immunoglobulins raised against 5,6-dihydroprostaglandin I2 which crossreact with prostaglandin I2 were infused intravenously into Inactin-anaesthetised male adult rats. Clearance of intravenously administered [3H]prostaglandin I2 from the blood, which is normally rapid (t 1/2 approx. 45 s), was delayed strikingly in the presence of antibody (t 1/2 approx. 60 min). The antibodies also sequestered the endogeneously synthesized prostaglandin I2 and inhibited its metabolism. The rate of appearance of endogenous prostaglandin I2 in the circulation of the rat was measured in the following way: arterial blood samples (0.5 ml) were withdrawn before, during and at various time intervals (up to 180 min) after infusion of antibodies had terminated; the prostaglandins were extracted from the blood with ethanol, and the extracts were assayed by radioimmunoassay (before and after separation by high-pressure liquid chromatography) for the following prostaglandins: 6-keto-F1 alpha, E2, F2 alpha and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-metabolites of E2 and F2 alpha. Rapid and specific time-related increments of prostaglandin I2 (detected serologically as 6-keto-F1 alpha) were observed. At 180 min these increases ranged from 1500- to 2500-fold over preinfusion levels. No significant increases were observed in the other prostaglandins measured; nor were there increases in 6-keto-F1 alpha when saline or immunoglobulins from non-immune plasma were infused into rats. When measured by these procedures, no appreciable differences in 6-keto-F1 alpha production were found between Japanese normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Persistence of hapten-antibody complexes in the circulation of immunized animals after a single intravenous injection of hapten

To study the fate of a low molecular weight antigen (hapten) in the circulation of animals whose sera contain antibodies specific for that low molecular weight antigen, a single injection of digoxin-(3)H (0.4 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to 18 rabbits. Thirteen animals (nine nonimmunized and four immunized with bovine serum albumin) served as control animals. In five rabbits which had been immunized with a digoxin-bovine serum albumin conjugate and whose sera contained digoxin-specific antibodies, the mean 12-h serum digoxin concentration was 8,300 ng/ml (control: 92 ng/ml) and the mean serum concentration 12 mo after the single injection of digoxin-(3)H was 85 ng/ml. In digoxin-immunized rabbits, less than 10% of the digoxin-(3)H was excreted in the first 10 days (control: 77% recovered in urine and feces) and the mean biological half-life of digoxin, as calculated from serum digoxin-(3)H disappearance curves, was 72 days (control: 3.4 days). In sera of digoxin-immunized rabbits, more than 90% of the circulating digoxin-(3)H was immunoglobulin bound, as determined by the double-antibody and dextran-coated charcoal methods. The serum disappearance rate of (125)I-antidigoxin antibodies was similar in nonimmunized and in immunized animals and in the presence or absence of digoxin. It is concluded that the biological half-life of a hapten may be markedly prolonged when the hapten is bound to specific antibody. The persistence of antibody-hapten complexes in the circulation suggests that these complexes may not be deposited in tissues and raises the possibility that low molecular weight determinants may be capable of preventing or reversing the deposition of immune complexes, containing macromolecular antigens, in the tissues of experimental animals and man.

The binding of ( 3 H)thyrotropin and an 3 H-labeled exophthalmogenic factor by plasma membranes of retro-orbital tissue

Plasma membranes of cells from retroorbital tissue have been prepared from the Harderian glands of guinea pigs and have been characterized as being reasonably free of other subcellular structures by electron microscopy and by enzyme-marker analyses. Both bovine thyrotropin and a proteolytic derivative of bovine thyrotropin with exophthalmogenic activity but without thyroid-stimulating activity specifically bind to these membranes. Gammaglobulin from the sera of patients with malignant exophthalmos increases the binding of both pituitary factors, whereas binding is not similarly increased by gammaglobulin from the sera of individuals who are not exophthalmic. The increased binding caused by the gammaglobulin from exophthalmic patients is the same whether the sera are positive or negative for the long-acting thyroid stimulator. Present binding experiments do not indicate a direct interaction between the gammaglobulin and the plasma membranes of the cells from Harderian glands. A mechanism for the pathogenesis of human exophthalmos is proposed on the basis of these data.