A peptide in gastric secretion with inhibin-like properties.

The presence of inhibin like peptide which is biologically active in reducing FSH secretion in castrated rats and suppressing hCG-induced increase in ovarian weights of immature mice, is reported for the first time in gastric aspirates of normal men. Immunological characteristics of this peptide were similar to inhibin extracted from human seminal plasma. The concentration of inhibin-like peptide measured by RIA developed for seminal inhibin is more than thirty-fold higher in gastric aspirates compared with serum.