A possible origin of circulating gastrin component IV in cats

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Comparative Physiology

Background:

• Cat blood exhibits higher concentrations of gastrin components III and IV compared to human blood (primarily II and III).
• Gastrin is a crucial hormone regulating digestive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the in vivo and in vitro conversion of gastrin in feline blood.
• To identify potential enzymatic activity responsible for gastrin component transformation in cats.

Main Methods:

• Continuous intravenous injection of synthetic cat gastrin 17NS into anesthetized cats.
• Incubation of cat and human blood with synthetic and natural gastrins at varying temperatures (37°C and 0°C) and analyzed for gastrin components.
• Measurement of immunoreactive gastrin components using specific assays.

Main Results:

• Injected synthetic cat gastrin 17NS led to significantly higher concentrations of gastrin Component IV than Component III in cat arterial blood.
• Incubation of cat blood with gastrins at 37°C produced Component IV, while human blood did not show detectable Component IV production.
• No Component IV was produced when cat blood was incubated with gastrins at 0°C, suggesting a temperature-dependent enzymatic process.

Conclusions:

• Feline blood possesses enzymatic activity capable of converting gastrin 17NS to Component IV.
• This conversion appears to be a specific characteristic of cat blood and is temperature-dependent.