STUDIES ON ECTOPIC ACTH-PRODUCING TUMOURS.
ABSTRACT In order to elucidate whether ectopic ACTH-producing tumours elaborate corticotrophin-releasing factors (CRF)-like materials, the CRF-like activity of tumour extracts was measured by the in vitro pituitary incubation method. Seven out of 12 tumour extracts with suspected ACTH-producing tumours showed CRF-like activity. No correlation was found between ACTH and CRF-like activities in tumour extracts in which both activities were present. The dose-response curve of a tumour extract was almost parallel to that of crude CRF (NIAMDD) and clearly different from those of lysine-8-vasopressin and arginine-vasopressin, both of which showed CRF-like activity by this assay method. Trypsin digestion considerably lowered the CRF-like activity of a tumour extract. These results suggest that ectopic production of CRF-like substance(s) occurs more frequently than was supposed previously, especially in ACTH-producing tumours.