Heterogeneity of Big-Big hPRL in Hyperprolactinemia

Summary

Sera from a patient with macroprolactinoma (case 1) and from a hyperprolactinemic woman with regular menstruation (case 2) were analyzed for prolactin activity by gel filtration using Sephadex G-100, Sephadex G-200 and TSK G3000SW columns. The chromatographic profile by Sephadex G-100 showed that the percentage of immunoreactive big-big hPRL was 10.7% in case 1 and 64.1% in case 2. On Sephadex G-200 and TSK G3000SW columns, the molecular weight of big-big hPRL was estimated to be more than 500,000 daltons (big-big¹ hPRL) in case 1 and approximately 250,000-300,000 daltons (big-big² hPRL) in case 2. Big-big¹ hPRL in case 1 was converted to big and little hPRLs when the serum was treated with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), but part of the big-big² hPRL in case 2 was converted to a larger molecule.

Radioactive big-big hPRL generated by mixing labeled hPRL with the serum from case 1 was eluted with the void volume on Sephadex G-100 column and was not converted to the other molecular forms after 2-ME treatment. There were two radioactive big-big hPRL on TSK G3000SW column and these estimated molecular weights were more than 300,000 daltons.

The data demonstrated the existence of at least two forms of big-big hPRL in the serum and indicated that radioactive big-big hPRL may be different from these hPRLs in the serum.

Key-Words

Hyperprolactinemia - Heterogenous Prolactin - Big-Big Prolactin - Big Prolactin