Induction of Sulfation Factor Activity by Infection of Hypophysectomized Rats withSpirometra mansonoides1

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Abstract
It has been reported (1, 2) that growth of hypophysectomized (hypox) rats is stimulated for 4–6 weeks by the implantation of spargana of S. mansonoides. The serum from actively growing infected hypox rats (aWHRS) has potent in vivo growth hormone-like activity. As little as 0.1–0.5 ml aWHRS can cause growth in a recipient hypox rat. This active serum also increases 3H-thymidine uptake into ribs removed from treated hypox rats, much as growth hormone does. We have quantitated this activity by measuring the in vitro3H-thymidine uptake of costal cartilages removed from treated rats. Serum from infected rats whose growth has plateaued (pWHRS) is inactive when tested for this in vivo growth promoting activity. Mixing the active and inactive sera abolishes the in vivo effect of the aWHRS. Sulfation factor (SF) has been demonstrated in the serum of infected hypox rats and hypox rats treated with aWHRS. This SF is not inactivated by pWHRS (tested in vitro), and it resembles normal SF by its heat and acid stability and its retention by a UM-10 membrane. We conclude that aWHRS contains a very potent “worm factor” which stimulates the hypox rat to produce SF in the absence of growth hormone. It is likely that the pWHRS contains antibodies which prevent this induction of SF. (Endocrinology88: 924, 1971)

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