Intake of monosaccharides or amino acids induces pituitary gland synthesis of proteins regulating intestinal fluid transport.

In cholera diarrhoea, the pituitary gland produces a 60-kDa protein known as antisecretory factor (ASF) which reverses intestinal secretion induced by the cholera toxin. We show here that ASF-like proteins are produced in the rat during intestinal secretion triggered by intake of a 500 mg dose of mannose, sorbitol, glycine or alanine. All the ASF-like proteins reversed cholera secretion, and all were of a similar size. However, they differed in charge: mannose and sorbitol induced a protein with an isoelectric point of 4.5; glycine induced two proteins, one with a pI of 6.3, the other of 7.7; and alanine induced two proteins, one with a pI of 6.3, the other of 9.4. Antibodies against naturally occurring ASF from porcine pituitary gland neutralized ASF induced by cholera toxin and two of the amino acid-induced proteins, while the sugar-induced protein(s) did not cross-react. All the proteins showed affinity to agarose and were dissociated again with methyl alpha-D-glucoside. A single peroral dose of cholera toxin or sorbitol induced antisecretory proteins which persisted in the pituitary gland for only 1-3 days. Seven treatments gave a sustained response, the protein induced by cholera toxin persisting for over 2 months, and that induced by sorbitol about 1 month.