Identification of xenin, a xenopsin-related peptide, in the human gastric mucosa and its effect on exocrine pancreatic secretion

One of the peptides previously discovered in amphibians is the octapeptide xenopsin. As immunohistochemistry has also indicated the presence of xenopsin immunoreactivity in man, we extracted in the present investigation xenopsin-immunoreactive material from human gastric mucosa and purified it to homogeneity with several high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) reverse phase and ion exchange chromatographic steps. The eluates were monitored with a radioimmunoassay for amphibian xenopsin. Determination of the amino acid sequence revealed a 25-amino acid peptide having 6 C-terminal amino acids in common with amphibian xenopsin. The sequence of this peptide, termed xenin 25, is M-L-T-K-F-E-T-K-S-A-R-V-K-G-L-S-F-H-P-K-R-P-W-I-L. The peptide was custom-synthesized. Mass spectrometry of the synthetic and the extracted peptide revealed identical molecular mass. Purification of 250 ml of human postprandial plasma with Sep-Pak C18 cartridges, reverse phase HPLC, and ion exchange chromatography demonstrated circulating xenin immunoreactivity at a retention time identical to xenin 25. The amount of xenin immunoreactivity at the position of xenin 25 on C18-HPLC increased significantly after a meal. A radioimmunoassay utilizing antibodies to xenin 25 and a 125I-labeled analogue of xenin 25 was used to measure immunoreactive xenin in the plasma of 10 volunteers. There was a significant rise of xenin immunoreactivity in the plasma after a meal. Intravenous infusion of the synthetic peptide in dogs stimulated exocrine pancreatic secretion beginning at a dose of 4 pmol/kg/min. The maximal effect was seen with 64 pmol/kg/min. We have detected, therefore, a new peptide, xenin 25, in human gastric mucosa; we have provided evidence for the presence of this peptide in the human circulation, and have shown a rise of plasma xenin concentrations after a meal. This peptide stimulates exocrine pancreatic secretion. Its physiologic role deserves further investigation.