EFFECT OF CHYMOTRYPSIN ON HUMAN CHOLECYSTOKININ RELEASE - USE OF CLOSTRIPAIN IN THE VALIDATION OF A NEW RADIOIMMUNOASSAY

We have developed and validated a new radioimmunoassay for cholecystokinin. In order to establish that the antiserum binds large and small forms of CCK to an equal extent, we used the microbial enzyme clostripain, which cleaves large forms of CCK yielding CCK 8. Cleavage by clostripain of synthetic and purified forms of CCK, and CCK extracted at from human jejunum and CCK in human plasma was found not to affect immunoactivity, indicating that the antiserum reacts similarly with all forms of CCK. There is controversy over whether intraduodenal trypsin inhibits release of CCK in man. We used our radioimmunoassay to investigate whether chymotrypsin, rather than trypsin, could be the major mediator of negative feedback control of CCK release. Six normal subjects received an intraduodenal infusion of L-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan on two occasions, with the addition of either 1 g/1 bovine chymotrypsin or 1 g/1 albumin. Plasma CCK concentrations rose in response to the amino acid infusion, but were not affected by the addition of chymotrypsin, indicating that this enzyme is not a mediator of CCK feedback regulation in man.