視床下部の甲状腺調節因子Thyrotrophin Releasing Factor (TRF) の研究

抄録

As to the control of the thyroid by the hypothalamus, many workers now consider it as humoral regulation. In 1955, it was found out in our department that there is a tendency in the hypothalamus to stimulate selectively the hypophysis-thyroid system both functionally and morphologically, and since then studies have been performed by us on the central system governing the thyroid. As the consequence a substance was demonstrated, which was provisionally designated as thyrotryphin releasing factor. The author extracted TRF from urine, and made studies on its purification, and the following results were obtained.
(1) Crude TRF was precipitated by adding zinz sulfate and potassium ferrocyanide to urine, and extracted by using 97-80% ethanol as solvent. In this way, about 150 mg of TRF was harvested from 1000 ml of urine.
(2) In electrophoresis in veronal buffer (pH 8.5), crude TRF shifted toward the cathode, and in ion exchange resin, Dowes 50 × -2, it was separated in the acid portion. It showed maximum absorption of ultraviolet ray at 240 mμ and 280 mμ.
(3) The -7.8 and P₂ fraction were not protein nor lipoid. As to the development of color, it was positive only in ninhydrin and Sakaguchi reaction.
(4) The P₂ fraction always stimulated the hypophysis-thyroid system, activating it significantly both histologically and functionally.
(5) TRF was always contained in ninhydrin positive fraction, and one and two-dimensional paper chromatography and hydrolysis suggested that it would be peptide.