An Investigation of Proteohormones by Alternating Current Polarography

The behavior of some proteohormones as mixtures of FSH and LH at different proportions and purity was studied by polarography. Proteins which contain groups of -SH and/or -S-S-, develop in an ammoniacal buffer of Co^II or Co^III salts a typical double wave, which is believed to be a catalytic wave of hydrogen evolution. It is called a Brdicka double wave. It depends on various parameters such as concentration of the protein, pH, buffer capacity, temperature, height of mercury current, etc. The influence of changing the various parameters on the height of the wave and on the potential of the maximum of the wave height was studied. Comparison was made among the various hormones and with the simple protein human albumin. The measurements were performed by direct current and alternating current polarography. An attempt is made to investigate the mechanisms of each of the two components of the double wave. Hormone preparations, containing different proportions of LH and FSH, could be characterized.