Hydrokinetic activity of secretion and secretin analogues, modified in the N-terminal sequence, and of vasoactive intestinal peptide in the dog pancreas

Abstract

In the dog pancreas in vivo, the biological activity of secretin and vasoactive intestinal peptide was compared to that of secretin analogues modified in their N-terminal hexapeptide and to X-secretion (alpha, beta-Asp3-secretin) and Y-secretin (a conversion product of X-secretin consisting of about 15% secretin and 85% beta-Asp3-secretin). Replacement of Asp3 by glutamic acid reduced secretin activity markedly. Replacement by neutral amino acids abolished the activity nearly completely. alpha, beta-Asp3-secretin and beta-Asp3-secretin appeared to be ineffective. The results indicate that the free beta-carboxy group of the side chain of the Asp3 residue of the secretin molecule is of decisive importance for hydrokinetic action.