Stability of pro-opiocortin-related peptides in post-mortem mouse brain tissue

The stability of pro-opiocortin-related peptides, growth hormone and somatostatin was investigated in mouse brain for up to 72 h post mortem. The peptide content in acid extracts of whole mouse brain was measured by radioimmunoassay and the molecular forms characterised by chromatography on Sephadex G-50 under acid-dissociating conditions. The brain content of the pro-opiocortin-related peptides and growth hormone rose markedly with time after death and chromatography showed this to be due to an increase in the same molecular forms present immediately post mortem, with no significant peptide fragmentation or precursor cleavage. These rises were not seen in the brains of those animals hypophysectomized at death. In contrast, the levels of somatostatin were not significantly altered post mortem though there was a shift in the relative distribution of immunoactivity between the different molecular forms. These results indicate that the peptide content of post-mortem mouse brain may be affected by leakage of pituitary contents and that even though the levels of other neuropeptides may not change, their molecular forms may be altered.