Purification of Class I Medullipins from the Venous Effluent of Isolated Normal Kidneys Perfused under High Pressure with Saline

Medullipin I (Med I) is a vasodepressor prohormone which is continuously elaborated into the renal venous effluent (RVE) of isolated rat kidneys perfused under high pressure. We have improved the yield of Med I by substituting saline for the albumin perfusate previously reported; and considerably improved refinement by directly fractionating the crude lipid extract of the RVE with high pressure liquid chromatography. The results show that Med I, as defined by previous physiologic and pharmacologic criteria, is not a single molecule. The 3 Class I medullipins described here are distinguished by subtle or overt differences in polarity and biologic activity.