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Biomedical subjects

H Vaudry

Publications and source records attributed to H Vaudry.

At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources

[Melanotropic hormone in the green frog (Rana esculenta): biochemical and radioimmunological study].

The alpha-MSH levels in the frog hypophysis were measured by use of a sensitive ans specific radioimmunoassay. Sephadex G-50 gel chromatography of frog pars distalis and pars intermedia extracts showed that frog hypophyseal MSH was chemically related to synthetic alpha-MSH. Rat tissue homogenates were capable of degrading frog pars intermedia MSH as well as synthetic alpha-MSH. These results provide evidence that the frog hypophysis--pars intermedia and pars distalis--contains an alpha-MSH-like peptide.

Animals↗

Immunoreactive alpha-MSH and ACTH levels in rat plasma and pituitary.

A radioimmunoassay is described for the measurement of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). The antibody was produced in rabbits by immunization with alpha-MSH coupled to bovine serum albumin with carbodiimide. The antibody did not react significantly with ACTH, beta-MSH, or 6 fragments of ACTH. The sensitivity and reliability of the assay were improved by employing a simple plasma extraction procedure. When applied to a 2 ml plasma sample, the detection limit of the radioimmunoassay was 6 pg/ml. ACTH was measured with a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay previously described for humans and adapted for the rat. The anti-ACTH serum cross-reacted with the biologically active portion of alpha-p ACTH and not with alpha-MSH, beta-MSH or the alpha-p 17-39 and alpha-p 25-39 fragments of ACTH. The detection limit was 20 pg/ml. Plasma and pituitary alpha-MSH and ACTH had the same immunoreactivity as synthetic alpha-MSH and ACTH. alpha-MSH and ACTH contents of the rat neurointermediate lobe were 1398 +/- 360 (SE) ng and 28.2 +/- 2.9 ng, respectively, while in the anterior lobe they were 102 +/- 31 ng and 551 +/- 36 ng, respectively. The plasma alpha-MSH concentration at 8 AM in male rats was 64 +/- 8 pg/ml when the plasma ACTH concentration was 92 +/- 15 pg/ml. Over a 24-hour period two peaks of plasma alpha-MSH were observed, one at 4 AM (142 +/- 35 pg/ml) and the other at 4 PM (139 +/- 26 pg/ml). Plasma ACTH was higher at noon (151 +/- 43 pg/ml) and 4 PM (130 +/- 48 pg/ml). Short-term exposure to ether induced a transient increase in alpha-MSH level 5 min later and a rapid return to normal levels. Plasma ACTH increased significantly 2.5 min after the onset of ether stress and remained high for 30 min. Two hours' exposure to ether did not change plasma alpha-MSH, although a 3-fold increase in plasma ACTH was observed. Haloperidol injection was followed by a large increase in plasma alpha-MSH, whereas ACTH levels increased similarly after saline and Haloperidol injection. Corticoid administration reduced ACTH, but not alpha-MSH. Three weeks after adrenalectomy, alpha-MSH levels had not changed but ACTH levels had increased ten-fold. These data indicate that alpha-MSH is secreted in the rat, and that the regulation of its secretion is different from that of ACTH.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

[The degradation of radioiodinated alpha MSH in vitro: effect of some inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes].

The velocity of labelled alpha MSH degradation by rat tissues has been studied at different temperatures. The appearance of damaged compounds from 125I alpha MSH is much lower at 4 degrees C than at 22 or 37 degrees C. The addition of proteolysis inhibitors (benzamidine or zymofren) reduces the damage velocity. Under standard conditions of temperature and buffer, the damage velocity is lower when the tissue homogenates are processed by heat (56 degrees C; 40 min.). The existence of an enzymatic system capable of degradating radioiodine alpha MSH in the rat brain is discussed.

Animals↗

[Role of various regulation factors of interrenal gland activity in response to stress in the green frog Rana esculenta L].

The effects of an ether stress on the corticosterone levels were studied in variously experimented frogs. The removal of the distal lobe of the pituitary gland, with preservation of the intermediate lobe which contains also ACTH, suppresses, as total hypophysectomy, the increase of corticosterone level observed in normal frogs. The administration of dexamethasone reduces but not suppresses this increase. A second ether stress 20 minutes after the first is effective. The injection of frog plasma treated or not with an corticosteroid adsorbant do not alter the response to stress. These results suggest that modifications of corticosterone level, in some limits, do not disturb the effects of a stress.

Adrenal Cortex↗

[Radioimmunologic assay of plasma corticotropin in the green frog, Rana esculenta L].

In the green Frog (Rana esculenta) the plasma contains a polypeptide immunologically related to human and porcine corticotropins. A radiommunoassay capable of detecting 4.10-12 g hog ACTH has been used for a direct plasma ACTH assay in the Frog. Using this method, the ACTH rate was determined both in untreated frogs and in animals under various experimental conditions.

Adrenal Glands↗

Gamma-melanotropin response to ovine corticotropin releasing factor in normal humans.

Plasma gamma-melanotropin was measured by a gamma 3MSH-specific radioimmunoassay before and after a single bolus intravenous infusion of ovine corticotropin releasing factor (oCRF; 0.1 microgram/kg) in seven normal men. A significant increase of gamma 3MSH was observed 15 minutes post-oCRF infusion, which paralleled a similar increase in plasma cortisol. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that the observed increase was attributable to elevations of 9K and 4K forms of gamma 3MSH immunoreactivity. Affinity chromatography demonstrated that the majority of gamma 3MSH immunoreactivity in human plasma is glycosylated. As the smaller forms of gamma 3MSH are felt to have endocrine activity at the adrenal cortex, these changes may be physiologically relevant.

Adult↗

Biosynthesis, processing and release of pro-opiomelanocortin related peptides in the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland of the frog (Rana ridibunda).

The biosynthesis of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and related peptides by the intermediate lobe of the pituitary gland was studied in the frog Rana ridibunda using the pulse-chase technique. Analysis of radioactive proteins by dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that during pulse incubations a 36,000 dalton (36K) glycosylated prohormone was synthesized. It disappeared slowly during chase incubations, giving rise to another glycosylated protein (Mr 18K), identified as the N-terminal fragment of POMC. This latter protein was secreted to the incubation medium. High performance liquid chromatography analysis of peptides synthesized during chase incubations revealed the biosynthesis of two peptides related to gamma-MSH, three peptides related to alpha-MSH, one endorphin-related and one CLIP-related peptides. These newly synthesized peptides were slowly secreted to the incubation medium. Among the alpha-MSH related peptides, only the des-N alpha-acetyl alpha-MSH form of the peptide was found to be present within the cells, in contrast to the incubation medium where the presence of des-N alpha-acetyl alpha-MSH and a modified alpha-MSH was demonstrated.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Action of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) on amphibian adrenocortical function, in vitro.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is located in chromaffin cells of the frog adrenal gland and is able to stimulate corticosteroid secretion in amphibians. In the present study we have investigated the possible involvement of prostaglandins, microfilaments and calcium in the mechanism of action of VIP on frog adrenocortical tissue. Rana ridibunda interrenal dice were perifused with amphibian culture medium for more than 10 hours. Corticosterone and aldosterone concentrations were measured in the effluent perifusate using sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay methods. In the presence of indomethacin (5 microM), a specific blocker of prostaglandin biosynthesis, the spontaneous secretion of corticosteroids was markedly reduced (80%) but the stimulatory effect of VIP was not altered. The administration of the microfilament disrupting agent cytochalasin B (50 microM) inhibited both spontaneous and VIP-induced corticosteroid secretion. In the absence of calcium, the spontaneous level of corticosteroid was reduced to about 60% but VIP was still able to stimulate corticosteroid secretion. From these data we conclude that the integrity of the cytoskeleton is required for the secretory response of adrenocortical cells to VIP, whereas neither prostaglandins nor calcium are involved in VIP-induced adrenocortical stimulation.

Adrenal Cortex↗

Regulation of biosynthesis and release of pars intermedia peptides in Rana ridibunda: dopamine affects both acetylation and release of alpha-MSH.

Dopamine is likely an important physiological melanotropin release-inhibiting factor in amphibians. This study concerns the effects of dopamine on the biosynthesis and release of peptides from the pars intermedia of the frog Rana ridibunda. Our results show that this secretagogue has no immediate effects on either the rate of biosynthesis of pro-opiomelanocortin nor on the direction of processing of this prohormone. Pulse-chase experiments revealed that dopamine inhibited the release of all newly synthesized POMC-related peptides in a dose-dependent manner. For each dopamine concentration tested, the degree of inhibition exerted on the release of the various newly synthesized peptides by a given concentration of secretagogue was approximately the same, with the exception of that found for the alpha-MSH related peptides. Analysis of the release of these melanotropins was complex because dopamine not only inhibited their release but also, either directly or indirectly, inhibited the acetylation reaction which converts des-N alpha-acetyl alpha-MSH to alpha-MSH. Dopamine was shown to be less potent in inhibiting the release of des-N alpha-acetyl alpha-MSH than inhibiting release of the acetylated form of the peptide. In amphibians a preferential release of the less-bioactive non-acetylated form of MSH under inhibitory conditions induced by dopamine may be of physiological importance.

Acetylation↗