High concentrations of p-Glu-His-Pro-NH2 (thyrotropin-releasing hormone) occur in rat prostate

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) immunoreactivity occurs in high concentration within the rat prostate. Previous studies have shown that the immunoreactive species consists of more than one TRH-like tripeptide which cross-reacts in the TRH radioimmunoassay. The component which was highly retained during cation exchange chromatography was subjected to a preparative scale isolation, purification and structural analysis. The methods used included methanol extraction, water-ethyl ether partitioning, cation exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, high pressure liquid chromatography, TRH radioimmunoassay, in vitro pituitary bioassay, TRH receptor assay, and amino acid analysis. The mean concentration of the predominant amino acids (Glu, His, Pro), 344 pmoles/ml, and the TRH concentration measured by TRH radioimmunoassay prior to acid hydrolysis, 372 pmoles/ml, were nearly identical. Because the material analyzed cochromatographed with synthetic TRH in several chromatographic systems, had a radioreceptor potency which was indistinguishable from that for synthetic TRH, and released TSH and prolactin but not growth hormone from rat pituitaries in vitro, it is concluded that pGlu-His-Pro-NH2 is one of the TRH-like peptides in the rat vental prostate.