PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

D T Krieger

Publications and source records attributed to D T Krieger.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Pituitary intermediate lobe in dog: two cell types and high bioactive adrenocorticotropin content.

The pituitary intermediate lobe of most species is cytologically monotonous, but that of the dog is composed of two immunocytochemically distinct cell types. The predominant A cells are typical pars intermedia cells: they stain immunocytochemically for alpha-melanotropin and, more weakly, for adrenocorticotropin and beta-lipotropin. The B cells are like the corticotrophs of the anterior lobe: they stain intensely for adrenocorticotropin and beta-lipotropin but not for alpha-melanotropin. The B cells may account for the high concentration of bioactive adrenocorticotropin measured in the canine pars intermedia, and may explain why in dogs adenomas causing Cushing's disease through hypersecretion of adrenocorticotropin can arise from the intermediate as well as the anterior pituitary lobe.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Circadian corticosterone rhythm and stress response in rats with adrenal autotransplants.

A significant circadian variation in plasma corticosterone concentrations as determined by sequential sampling was observed in rats with adrenals autotransplanted (ADT) to the inguinal region as well as in sham-operated controls when studied 3 wk after surgery. Phase shifting of plasma corticosterone concentrations was observed in a second ADT group placed in reverse photoperiod (D12:L12, lights on 1900) for 2 wk. Intravenous injections of ACTH in dexamethasone-suppressed animals resulted in significant increments in plasma corticosterone concentrations in sham-operated but not in ADT animals. ADT and sham groups both showed elevated plasma corticosterone concentrations after ether or 30-min immobilization stress, although greater responses were present in the sham group. It appears that direct innervation of the adrenal is unnecessary for the maintenance of circadian plasma corticosterone concentrations or certain stress responses.

Adrenal Glands↗

Impaired clearance of beta-lipotropin in uremia.

Immunoreactive ACTH and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) plasma concentrations are elevated in clinically stable chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis (LPH: patients, 271.8 +/- 35.7 fmol ml-1; normal subjects; 6.6 +/- 0.5; ACTH: patients, 56.4 +/- 15.3; normal subjects, 19.4 +/- 1.7). To begin to study the etiology of such elevated levels, the MCR, apparent volume of distribution, and fractional rate of disappearance of synthetic human ACTH and highly purified human beta-LPH were determined in two clinically stable chronic renal failure patients on hemodialysis, after bolus simultaneous injection of both peptides. Biphasic disappearance curves were obtained for beta-LPH; triphasic for ACTH. The MCR of ACTH was within the range seen in normal subjects, whereas the MCR of beta-LPH was less than one half the normal rate. The data indicate that a decrease in MCR (rather than an increase in pituitary secretory rate) may account for the higher plasma levels of beta-LPH in uremic patients.

Adolescent↗

Biosynthesis and release of beta-endorphin-, N-acetyl beta-endorphin-, beta-endorphin-(1-27)-, and N-acetyl beta-endorphin-(1-27)-like peptides by rat pituitary neurointermediate lobe: beta-endorphin is not further processed by anterior lobe.

Continuous labeling and pulse-chase techniques were employed to study the synthesis and secretion of multiple forms of immunoreactive beta-endorphin by cultured dispersed rat anterior lobe cells and intact neurointermediate pituitary lobe. Cell and medium extract immunoreactive beta-endorphin (specific immunoprecipitation and radioimmunoassay) exhibiting a Kav similar to authentic beta-endorphin upon gel filtration was characterized further by nonequilibrium isoelectric focusing, cation exchange chromatography, reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography, and partial tryptic and chymotryptic mapping. Intact neurointermediate lobes incorporated radiolabeled amino acids into four to six forms of immunoreactive beta-endorphin. Four of these forms were physicochemically similar to authentic beta-endorphin, N-acetylated beta-endorphin, beta-endorphin-(1-27), and N-acetylated beta-endorphin-(1-27). Pulse-chase studies indicated that a beta-lipotropin-like molecule served as a metabolic intermediate for a beta-endorphin-like molecule. As beta-endorphin-like material accumulated in the cell, some of it was N-acetylated (approximately 18% at 2 hr chase and approximately 65% at 18 hr chase). At later chase times, beta-endorphin-(1-27)- and N-acetylated beta-endorphin-(1-27)-like peptides were the predominant molecular species detected. All endorphin forms were detected in unlabeled tissue maintained in culture or tissue continuously labeled for 72 hr and were released into the medium under basal, stimulatory (10(-8) M norepinephrine), or inhibitory (10(-7) M dopamine) incubation conditions. In all cases, beta-endorphin-(1-27)-like species were the predominant forms (more than 70% of total) present in the cells and released into the medium. In contrast, approximately 90% of radiolabeled immunoreactive beta-endorphin extracted from anterior lobe cells and medium similarly incubated appeared to represent the authentic beta-endorphin molecule. Continuous labeling (72 hr) revealed the beta-lipotropin/beta-endorphin molar ratio to be approximately 4. We conclude that, in anterior lobe, most of the beta-endorphin is not processed further and is released intact, while in neurointermediate lobe, it serves as a biosynthetic intermediate.

Amino Acids↗

Effects of food restriction on the periodicity of corticosteroids in plasma and on monoamine concentrations in discrete brain nuclei.

The concentrations of plasma corticosteroids and of norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin in microdissected brain regions were measured at 08.00, 12.00 and 20.00 h in male rats fed ad libitum and in rats whose food intake was restricted to 09.30-11.30 h. In ad libitum fed animals, plasma corticosteroids were lowest at 08.00 and highest at 20.00 h. As demonstrated previously, restriction of food availability was associated with appearance of a peak in corticosteroids at 08.00 h. In ad libitum fed animals, serotonin and dopamine concentrations in the median eminence were higher at 20.00 than at 08.00 h. Restriction of food availability significantly decreased the levels of these neurotransmitters at 20.00 h. In the paraventricular nucleus, amygdala, and hippocampus of ad libitum fed animals, serotonin levels were lower at 20.00 than at 08.00 or 12.00 h. In food-shifted animals, this pattern was reversed so that lowest levels of serotonin occured at 08.00 and markedly elevated levels were observed at 12.00 and 20.00 h. No changes were noted in norepinephrine content of the median eminence or paraventricular nucleus of ad libitum fed or food restricted animals. These results indicate that the shift in the periodicity of corticosteroid secretion produced by a restricted feeding regime is accompanied by changes in the periodicity of neurotransmitter concentrations in specific regions of the brain, and that such patterns are dissimilar in different regions.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Biosynthesis of precursor corticotropin/endorphin-, corticotropin-, alpha-melanotropin-, beta-lipotropin-, and beta-endorphin-like material by cultured neonatal rat hypothalamic neurons.

Enzymatically dispersed hypothalamic cells derived from 15-day-old female rats were maintained in tissue culture for 4 days and then incubated for 2 hr in the presence of [35S]methionine. After such incubation, cell extracts contained multiple forms of 35S-labeled products that were specifically bound by immobilized affinity-purified antisera to corticotropin and beta-endorphin. Sequential use of these immobilized antisera revealed two molecular species (apparent Mr of 33,000 and 36,500) that contained both corticotropin and beta-endorphin antigenic determinants within the same molecule. Substances containing only one of these determinants were also present and co-eluted with corticotropin, alpha-melanotropin, beta-lipotropin, or beta-endorphin upon Sephadex G-50 gel filtration. Extracts of similarly labeled rat anterior and intermediate pituitary lobe cells contained two forms of the common precursor molecule corresponding to the same molecular weights estimated for the hypothalamic material and similar to it with respect to other physicochemical parameters. These data suggest that rat hypothalamus synthesizes corticotropin-related and beta-endorphin-related products via sequential cleavage of a larger common precursor molecule in a manner similar to the processing pathway demonstrated for the intermediate lobe of the pituitary.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Neonatal monosodium glutamate. Effects upon analgesic responsivity and immunocytochemical ACTH/beta-lipotropin.

Neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) produces neurotoxic degeneration of the retina and medial-basal hypothalamus, including the arcuate nucleus. Since this hypothalamic area contains the only neuronal cell bodies in brain which contain adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and beta-lipotropin (beta-LPH) and beta-endorphin, destruction of these cells by MSG may interfere with pain responses mediated by nerve fibers arising from these perikarya. The present study examined whether MSG-treated rats, as compared to littermate controls, exhibited concomitant changes in the immunocytochemical distribution of ACTH and beta-LPH, and their reactivity to several analgesia-inducing manipulations. Although MSG-treated rats did not differ from control rats in their baseline reactivity to electric shock, they displayed an inability to exhibit analgesia following acute exposure to cold-water swim stress. In addition, MSG-treated rats showed an attenuated analgesic response following morphine administration. However, the analgesia elicited by either abrupt food deprivation, or the glucoprivic stress of 2-deoxy-D-glucose, was unaffected by neonatal MSG treatment. Concomitant with these selective analgesic deficits, MSG-treated rats displayed a marked immunocytochemical reduction in ACTH/beta-LPH perikarya and terminals in brain, but not pituitary. These data indicate that multiple pain-inhibitory systems exist, and that some rely upon an intact medial-basal hypothalamus to produce analgesia.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Ventromedial hypothalamic lesions abolish food-shifted circadian adrenal and temperature rhythmicity.

Daytime restriction of food and water availability in nocturnal animals phase-shifts the circadian periodicity of plasma corticosteroid concentrations and body temperature. These shifted rhythms do not persist in animals with lesions of the ventromedial hypothalamus, in contrast to our previous reports of persistence of such shifted rhythms in animals with lesions of the suprachiasmatic nuclei. These findings suggest that the ventromedial hypothalamus may be the anatomical locus which mediates the circadian response to food synchronization.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Simultaneous determination of human plasma immunoreactive beta-lipotropin, gamma-lipotropin, and beta-endorphin using immuno-affinity chromatography.

Since plasma ACTH, beta-lipotropin [beta-LPH-(1-91)], gamma-lipotropin (gamma-LPH: [beta-LPD-(1-58)]), and beta-endorphin (beta-EP: [beta-LPH-(61-91)]) are all derived from a common precursor molecule, their quantification in the same plasma under basal and stimulatory conditions should help to elucidate factors involved in their secretion and regulation. A sequential immune affinity chromatographic procedure was used to separate immunoreactive beta-LPH, gamma-LPH, and beta-EP on individual patient samples. Basal morning plasma concentrations [femtomoles per ml (to convert values to picograms per ml, femtomoles per ml values are multiplied by 10 for beta-LPH, by 5.8 for beta-LPH, by 4.5 for ACTH, and by 3.4 for beta-EP; n = 19; mean +/- SEM)] were: beta-LPH, 6.1 +/- 0.8; gamma-LPH, 4.4 +/- 0.5; and ACTH, 11.1 +/- 1.3. beta-EP was undetectable (< 1.5 fmol ml-1) in 7 of the 19 basal samples. The mean +/- SEM for the 12 remaining samples was 2.3 +/- 0.2. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia and Pitressin administration were associated with nearly equivalent increments of immunoreactive ACTH and beta-LPH concentrations. The resolving power of the technique was tested by separately applying the immunoreactive beta-LPH, gamma-LPH, and beta-EP fractions obtained from plasma pools to Sephadex G-50 gel filtration for molecular weight estimation. Greater than 88% of all immunoreactive material eluted with a Kav similar to the appropriate standard peptide markers. This immune affinity chromatographic system, therefore, permits simultaneous quantification of these peptides on small plasma volumes more rapidly and with greater resolution than when molecular sieve chromatography is used as an adjunct to RIA.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Immunocytochemical distribution of corticotropin (ACTH) in monkey brain.

The distribution of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) in monkey brain was examined by immunoperoxidase immunohistochemistry. An antiserum to ACTH that recognized the C-terminal portion of the molecule was used. Immunoreactive ACTH was visualized as an intraneuronal constituent with a widespread distribution throughout the brain. Reactive cell bodies were seen only in the region of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. Dense axonal networks were seen in the hypothalamus, mesencephalic gray, and in the region around the anterior commissure. No staining was seen in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, or striatum. ACTH or fragments of ACTH may function as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in primate brain.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Pituitary hormones in the brain: what is their function?

Data concerning the presence in the central nervous system of the anterior and intermediate lobe hormones ACTH, beta-lipotropin, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, beta-endorphin, prolactin, growth hormone, gonadotrophic hormone, and thyrotropin stimulating hormone are reviewed. Available evidence for the ACTH-lipotropin family of peptides indicates that synthesis can occur in brain as well as in pituitary. Although behavioral effects have been described for some of these peptides and their fragments (ACTH, alpha-MSH, beta-endorphin, prolactin), the physiological relevance and the mechanisms of such effects, the nature of the biosynthetic pathways involved, and the factors regulating the brain concentrations of these peptides remain to be explored.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Restoration of corticosteroid periodicity in obese rats by limited a.m. food access.

Absence of circadian periodicity of plasma corticosteroid levels has previously been reported to occur in animals maintained under constant light and in animals with suprachiasmatic nuclear lesions. Such animals also exhibit aperiodic rather than normal nocturnal eating. Restricted a.m. access to food (09.30--11.30 h) in such animals results in appearance of circadian corticosteroid periodicity (peak at 08.00 h) similar to that seen in normal animals on a similar food restriction regimen. The present study investigated the nature of adrenal circadian periodicity in obese rats who are reported to exhibit aperiodic feeding. Such aperiodic feeding occurred in obese male, but not in obese female, animals. These obese male animals manifested absent corticosteroid circadian periodicity. Restricted a.m. access to food was associated with the appearance of such periodicity similar to that described above in the two other experimental situations. These studies indicate differences in eating behavior and corticosteroid periodicity between obese male and obese female rats. They provide additional confirmation, in animals under normal light--dark conditions and in the absence of CNS lesions, of the role of periodic feeding in the generation of adrenal circadian periodicity.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗