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ANALOGS OF GROWTH HORMONE-RELEASING HORMONE INDUCE RELEASE OF GROWTH HORMONE IN THE BOVINE 1'2 R. S c a r b o r o u g h , J. G u l y a s 3, A. V. Schally 3 a n d J. J. Reeves 4 Washington State University 5 Pullman 99164-6332 ABSTRACT Biological potencies of three 29 amino acid growth hormone-releasing hormone analogs (GHRH[1-29]) were determined in the bovine and compared to synthetic human GHRH (44 amino acids; hGHRH[1-44]NH 2) for their ability to increase serum growth hormone (GH)concentrations. Four prepubertal Holstein heifers (179 • 10 kg) received hGHRH(1-44)NH 2 or analogs (D-Ala 2 , Nle 27, Agrn 29 GHRH[1-29], [JG-73]; D-N-MeAIa 2, Nle 27, A g l n 29 GHRH[1-29], [JG-75]; and desamino-Tyr I , D-AIa2 , Nle aT, Agm 29 GHRH[1-29], [JG-77]) at the following doses: O, 6.25, 25, 100 and 400 #g/animal. All treatment-dose combinations were administered to each heifer with at least a 1-d interval between treatments. Sixteen blood samples were collected via jugular cannulas 20 min before and up to 6 h after treatment injection. There was a linear dose-dependent GH release in response to hGHRH(1-44)NH~ and the three analogs. Growth hormone peak amplitudes for the three analogs were similar to those observed after administration of the hGHRH(1-44)NH 2 (P > .05). However, when total area under the GH response curves for each treatment was averaged over all the doses, JG-73 stimulated greater GH release than hGHRH(1-44)NH 2 (P < .05). Heifers injected with the 401Y#g dose of hGHRH(1-44)NH 2 or the three analogs showed a primary release of GH followed by a secondary release 1 h later. At all other doses, only a primary GH release was observed. In conclusion, JG-73, a GHRH analog, was found to be 4.65 times more potent on a weight basis and 3.3 times more potent on a molar basis, whereas JG-75 and JG-77 were as potent as synthetic hGHRH(1-44)NH 2 in stimulating the release of GH in heifers. (Key Words: Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone Analogs.) Introduction Manipulation of serum growth hormone (GH) c o n c e n t r a t i o n s to e n h a n c e p r o d u c t i o n traits in d o m e s t i c livestock has r e c e n t l y received c o n s i d e r a b l e a t t e n t i o n . E x o g e n o u s p i t u i t a r y or r e c o m b i n a n t G H has b e e n used in t h e b o v i n e t o i m p r o v e N r e t e n t i o n (Moseley et al., 1982), t Scientific paper no. 7847. College of Agric. and Home Econ. Res. Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman 99164. This research was supported by W. R. Grace & Co., Columbia, MD. 2Appreciation is expressed to the National Hormone and Pituitary Program, Baltimore, MD for supplying oGH antibody and to R. G. Eggert, American Cyanamid Co., for the recombinant bGH used for iodination and standards. 3 Endocrine, Polypeptide and Cancer Inst., Veterans Admin. Medical Center, Tulane Univ. School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70146. 4Reprint requests: Dr. J. J. Reeves, Dept. Anita. Sci., Washington State Univ., Pullman 99164-6332. s Dept. of Anim. Sci. Received September 18, 1987. Accepted January 15, 1988. w e i g h t gains (Grings et al., 1 9 8 7 a ) a n d m i l k p r o d u c t i o n ( B a u m a n et al., 1985). A viable a l t e r n a t i v e to t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f G H is t o increase e n d o g e n o u s release o f G H b y adm i n i s t e r i n g t h e n a t u r a l 4 4 a m i n o acid g r o w t h h o r m o n e - r e l e a s i n g h o r m o n e ( G H R H [ 1-44] NH2 ) or its analogs ( P l o u z e k a n d T r e n k l e , 1 9 8 6 ; Moseley et al., 1986). N a t u r a l G H R H a n d its s y n t h e t i c replicates h a v e b e e n s h o w n to s t i m u l a t e t h e release o f G H in t h e b o v i n e ( P l o u z e k et al., 1 9 8 3 ; M o s e l e y et al., 1984). Full biological a c t i v i t y was s h o w n to b e p r e s e n t in a 29 a m i n o acid f r a g m e n t ( G H R H [1-29]; Ling et al., 1 9 8 4 ; H o d a t e et al., 1986). A f u r t h e r r e m o v a l of C - t e r m i n a l a m i n o acids r e s u l t e d in a m a r k e d d e c r e a s e in GH-releasing activity (Ling et al., 1 9 8 4 ; H o d a t e et al., 1986). M o d i f i c a t i o n s a n d s u b s t i t u t i o n s w i t h Di s o m e r a m i n o acids in G H R H ( 1 - 2 9 ) have b e e n made that alter the duration and potency of the GH-releasing activity ( B a r r o n et al., 1985; H e i m a n et al., 1 9 8 5 ; P l o u z e k a n d Trenkle, 1986). However, little is k n o w n a b o u t t h e GH-releasing p o t e n c i e s of these peptides c o m p a r e d w i t h n a t u r a l G H R H ( 1 - 4 4 ) N H 2 in 1386 J. Anim. Sci. 1988. 6 6 : 1 3 8 6 - 1 3 9 2 GROWTH HORMONE, RELEASING HORMONE, ANALOGS domestic animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological potencies of three new analogs (D-AIa2, Nle 27, Agm 29 GHRH~ [1-29], [JG-73]; D-N-MeAla 2, Nle 27, Agm 29 GHRH[1-29], [JG-75]; and desamino-Tyr 1, D-Ala z, Nle 27, Agm 29 GHRH[1-29], [JG-77]) and to compare them to hGHRH(1-44)NH2 for the ability to increase serum concentrations of GH in the bovine. Materials and Methods Four prepubertal Holstein heifers (179 + 10 kg) were maintained indoors in individual pens and were exposed to a 15-h light:9-h d a r k photoperiod. Animals were accustomed to being handled prior to the study to decrease stress at sampling times. A complete pelleted diet was fed once daily at 1500. At least 12 h before treatments, heifers were fitted with indwelling jugular cannulas. The analogs JG-73, JG-75 and JG-77 and synthetic hGHRH(1-44)NH2 were dissolved in 1 ml physiological saline for all doses and stored at - 7 0 ~ The analogs and hGHRH(1-44)NH2 were synthesized by solid-phase methods and repurified by high performance liquid chromatography. Amino acid substitutions and modifications in the hGHRH analogs were as follows. Methionine 27 was replaced with norleucine (Nle), and arginine 29 was decarboxylated to give agmatine (Agm) in all three analogs. The D-isomer of alanine replaced L-alanine 2 in JG-73 and JG-77. Analog JG-77 lacked the amino group of the Tyr 1 residue (desaminoTyr 1). A methyl group was attached to the N of the D-isomer of alanine 2 (D-N-MeAIa2) in JG-75. Heifers received i.v. injections of hGHRH(1-44)NH2 or analogs at the foUowing doses: 0, 6.25, 25, 100 and 400 /Jg/animal. All treatment-dose combinations were administered to each heifer with at least a 1-d interval between treatments. Sampling began at 0800 on each treatment day. Btood samples were collected via jugular cannulas at - 2 0 , - 1 0 , 0 (injection time), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 min. All blood samples were allowed to clot at 4~ for 24 h and were centrifuged. Serum was decanted and stored at 180-A, American Cyanamid Co., Wayne, NJ. STylan 200, Elanco Products, Div. of Eli Lilly and Co., Indianapolis, IN. 1387 -20~ for subsequent determination of GH concentrations by a heterologous double antibody radioimmunoassay (Grings et al., 1988) using recombinant bovine GH 6 as the radioiodinated antigen and standard. Mean GH peak amplitude and area under the GH response curve for 6 h after GHRH treatment were determined for each heifer at each treatment-dose combination. Growth hormone peak amplitude was reported as the maximum concentration of GH achieved between 5 and 60 min postinjection. The area under the GH response curves, which is a measure of the total amount of GH released over time minus metabolic clearance rate, was estimated using trapezoidal summation for the entire 6-h period (Thomas, 1953). Each trait was analyzed as a completely random design (Steel and Torrie, 1980) with heifer, day, close and treatment as class variables and the residual used as the error term. The interactions between treatments and doses also were analyzed. Comparisons among treatment means and dose means were made by Duncan's multiple range test (Steel and Torrie, 1980). Orthogonal contrasts were used to test for differences in slopes of the best fit lines of the analogs compared to the hGHRH(1-44)NH2. Treatment variance was subdivided into linear, quadratic and cubic components using the F test to determine significant responses. Potencies of analogs based on total area under the GH response curves were calculated according to a four-point assay method as described by Pugsley (1946). Throughout the study, heifer #3 displayed raised body temperature (40~ and was treated with an antibiotic 7 i.m. It was evident from the serum GH data that either therapeutic administration of antibiotic, the illness, or a combination of both interfered with GH release. Therefore, all data collected from this heifer were excluded from statistical analyses. Results A rapid increase in plasma GH was elicited in response to hGHRH(1-44)NH2 and the analogs, but not to saline. There was a linear dosedependent response in GH release as measured by the area under the GH response curve for all treatments (Figure 1). Quadratic and cubic effects were not significant. The slopes of the best fit lines were not different when each analog was compared to hGHRH(1-44)NH2 (P 1388 SCARBOROUGH ET AL. O IJLi JG-73 8000 > JG-75 O'E :3 tu=>, az m ~ JO GHRH 1 - 4 4 4000' JG-77 I1: ,< O, A | H I SALINE 6.25 2'5 1(~0 400 DOSE GHRH OR GHRH-ANALOG (I.Ig) Figure 1. Dose response curves to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) (1-44) NH 2 (r = .95, o--o), JG-73 (r = .92, o--o), JG-75 (r = .97, o - - o ) and JG-77 injection (r = .97, m--m) on area under GH response curves for 6 h postinjection. Best fit lines were determined by linear regression. The doses are on a log scale, and each data point represents the mean of three observations. The standard errors for the least square means were 319, 389, 1,564 and 1,578 for the doses of 6.25, 25, 100 and 400/ag, respectively. > .05). Correlation coefficients of the best fit lines ranged from .92 to .97. No evidence for a diminished response at the highest dose utilized was seen when using area under the curve. No differences (P > .05) were found among the three analogs and hGHRH(1-44)NH2 when total area under the GH response curves was compared at the doses of 6.25, 100 and 400 pg. The analog JG-77 was the only analog to stimulate greater total area under the GH response curves (P < .05) than hGHRH(1-44)NH2 at the 25-pg dose. When treatments were averaged over the doses of 6.25, 25, 100 and 400 pg, total area under the GH response curves was greater for JG-73 than hGHRH(1-44)NH2 (P < .05). The analog JG-73 was calculated to stimulate 4.65 times greater total area under the GH response curves compared with hGHRH(1-44)NH2. No significant day effect or treatment-dose interaction was found ( P > .10). Greater total area under the GH response curves stimulated by 400 pg of hGHRH(1-44)- NH2 and the analogs was the result of both a primary GH release occurring 5 to 25 min after treatment injection and a secondary release between 60 to 180 min after treatment injection. At the lower doses, only a primary GH release was observed (Figure 2). Comparison of GH peak amplitudes at 6.25, 100 and 400 pg indicated no differences (P > .05) between the three analogs and hGHRH(1-44)NH2 (Figure 3). At the 25-pg dose, JG-77 stimulated greater (P < .05) GH peak amplitudes than hGHRH(1-44)NH2. When GH peak amplitudes for each treatment were averaged over all four doses, no differences (P > .05) were found between the three analogs and hGHRH(1-44)NH2. No day effect or treatmentdose interaction was found for GH peak amplitudes (P > .05). Discussion This study demonstrated that the three GHRH analogs tested and hGHRH(1-44)NH2 GROWTH HORMONE, RELEASING HORMONE, ANALOGS 1389 .0 i 'o 40 20- g -r 6 '~ 4. 6 TIME 6 2 ~ (HOURS) Figure 2. Mean serum growth hormone (GH) profiles of heifers (n = 3) at 6.25 ( o - - o ) , 25 ( o - - o ) , 100 ( o - - e ) and 400 ( i - - a ) within each growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) treatment after i.v. injection of JG-73, JG-75, JG-77 and synthetic human GHRH (hGHRH [1-441NH 2) at time 0. stimulated a release of GH in heifers. Considerable animal variation was noted. Large variation in individual responsiveness to G H R H also has been observed in rats (Wehrenberg et al., 1982), chickens (Leung and Taylor, 1983), h u m a n s ( T h o r n e r et al., 1983), pigs (Kraft et al., 1985), sheep (Kensinger et al., 1987) and cows (McCutcheon et al., 1984; Enright et al., 1986). The cause of this variation is n o t clear, but a relationship between the different re9 sponses and the a m o u n t of somatostatin in the peripheral circulation at the time of G H R H t r e a t m e n t has been postulated to be involved (Kraft et al., 1985; Enright et al., 1986; Kensinger et al., 1987). A s the doses of h G H R H ( 1 - 4 4 ) N H 2 or analogs were increased, the total area u n d e r the GH response curves was enlarged. However, a m p l i t u d e o f the GH peak after t r e a t m e n t did n o t increase in a d o s e - d e p e n d e n t manner. These results suggest that with doses o f 100 and 400 ,.., 100~ 75- O ~) 50- 25" O ~; 0 6.25 25 100 40( DOSE (pg) Figure 3. Mean growth hormone (GH) peak amplitudes (maximum concentration of GH achieved between 5 and 60 min postinjection) for JG-73 (white bars), JG-75 (black bars), JG-77 (striped bars) and synthetic human growth hormone-releasing hormone (hGHRH [1-441NH 2) (shaded bars)9 *P < .05 compared with hGHRH at that dose. There were three observations at each dose level. 1390 SCARBOROUGH ET AL. /ag, the GH peak amplitude may have been near maximal, but the duration of the stimulation increased as measured by total area under the GH response curves. The greater total area under the GH response curves stimulated by 400/ag hGHRH(1-44)NHz and the analogs was the result of a biphasic release of GH. Biphasic types of response to GHRH have been reported previously in humans (Vance et al., 1984) and cows (Moseley et al., 1984; Petitclerc et al., 1985; A1-Raheem et al., 1986). In vitro studies with rat pituitary fragments have demonstrated that GH stored in the rat pituitary can be divided into at least two functional compartments (Stachura and Tyler, 1986, 1987). These two compartments were described as a relatively small pool of previously synthesized hormone that responds quickly to GHRH but is rapidly exhaustible, and a larger pool that responds more slowly and continuously to long-term stimulation. The biphasic response of GH measured in the serum after administration of the high dose of hGHRH or analogs therefore may represent mobilization and release of stored GH from these two compartments. The results of this study indicate that an analog (JG-73) with D-AIa 2, Nle 27 and Agm 29 substitutions in hGHRH(1-29) exhibited a significant increase in potency compared with hGHRH(1-44)NH2. Other studies using analogs substituted with D-Ala s in position 2 of hGHRH(1-29) also have demonstrated significant increases in potency (Barron et al., 1985; Hodate et al., 1986; Karashima et al., 1987). The increased GH-releasing potency of JG-73 in the heifers is probably linked with increased affinity of the receptor to this peptide. Data that lend support to this suggestion were collected by Seifert et al. (1985) from a radioreceptor assay using rat anterior pituitary cell primary cell cultures. In their study, the labeled GHRH analogs had higher relative binding affinities than human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor (hpGRF[1-40]). Due to the differences in molecular weight of the GHRH analogs and the native hormone, the potency estimates on a weight basis, as done in this study, would overestimate the potency calculated on a molar basis by approximately 30%. Another possibility for the increased GHreleasing activity of JG-73 may be greater biological stability of the analog. Rate of degradation of this peptide likely is reduced due to the D-isomer substitution. The decarboxylation of arginine 29 to produce agmatine also may play a role in conferring resistance to proteolytic degradation from the C-terminus. Similar results of increased biological activity of analogs substituted with D-isomer amino acids have been obtained using several other peptides. The substitutions of D-amino acids in LHRH, enkephalin and glucagon analogs were suggested to have stabilized the B-bend conformation centered around the changed residue, thus increasing biological activity (Monahan et al., 1973; Coy et al., 1976; Sueiras-Diaz et al., 1984). Substitutions in JG-73 may act to stabilize the conformation of GHRH(1-29) in a similar manner. The analogs used in this study may possibly have greater potency when administered s.c., as was recently demonstrated by Karashima et al. (1987) using a similar GHRH analog. Differences between i.v. and s.c. potencies of GHRH analogs also have been described by Rafferty et al. (1985) and for an analog of somatostatin by Bauer et al. (1982). The analogs may be more resistant to degradation in s.c. tissue than in blood (Karashima et al., 1987). 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