Biomedical subjects

S M McCann

Publications and source records attributed to S M McCann.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

Effect of morphine on urine output: possible role of atrial natriuretic factor.

We examined the possible role of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) in morphine-induced diuresis. Morphine (20 micrograms/20 microliters) administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) in conscious, normally hydrated Sprague-Dawley rats significantly increased urine output from 0.22 +/- 0.16 ml/h/rat to 2.07 +/- 0.46 ml/h/rat, 3 h after injection. Morphine injection also significantly increased the plasma ANF level to a maximum of 364 +/- 46 pg/ml compared to control animals (33 +/- 7 pg/ml) in which 20 microliters of saline was injected i.c.v. (P < 0.001). This peak increase occurred 1 h after morphine administration, however, it continued to remain significantly elevated (171 +/- 36 pg/ml vs. 39 +/- 8 pg/ml in control animals; P < 0.001) 2 h later. The maximal diuresis observed 3 h after administration of morphine i.c.v. was abolished by pretreatment of the animals with 0.8 mg of naloxone given intravenously (i.v.) and also by anti-rat ANF serum (0.4 ml i.v.). A short, transient increase in blood pressure, occurred 2-5 min after morphine administration, but it is unlikely that this increase accounted for the increase in plasma ANF. We conclude that the diuresis induced by i.c.v. administration of morphine is due to enhanced release of ANF.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Control of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone release by hypothalamic peptides.

Lesion, stimulation, and pharmacological studies point to separate hypothalamic control of pulsatile FSH and LH secretion. LH release is controlled by a region extending from the preoptic area to the anterior and mid-median eminence, whereas FSH release is controlled by a region extending from the dorsal anterior hypothalamic area to the caudal median eminence. We have separated an FSH-releasing factor from LHRH by gel-filtration on Sephadex G-25, confirming results obtained over 25 years ago; and we are attempting its isolation in collaboration with Vale and River. In the meantime, reasoning that FSH-releasing factor might be related to LHRH, we tested many analogs of LHRH and found one that has selective FSH-releasing activity over a 50-fold dose range; however, it is relatively weak. This led us to the possibility that the GAP might be FSH-RF. Indeed, GAP1-13 has FSH but no LH-releasing activity over a 100-fold dose range; however, it is less potent than we would expect of the natural product. Substituting D-Trp-9 into the molecule to inhibit enzymatic degradation yielded a more potent and completely selective FSH-releasing peptide,24 which could be clinically useful. Alpha-inhibin-92 of Li et al. has been shown to have a highly selective dose-related suppressive action on FSH release in castrate male rats.25 Smaller fragments (35-65 and 66-92) of this molecule also possess the activity, albeit at higher doses. That this molecule may be physiologically significant is indicated by elevations in plasma FSH in immature rats obtained following intravenous injection of antisera raised against the peptide. Because of its much smaller size than that of 32-kDa alpha, beta inhibins and the lack of carbohydrate in the molecule, this can be relatively easily synthesized and might have clinical utility as an FSH release-inhibiting peptide.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Role of nitric oxide in interleukin 2-induced corticotropin-releasing factor release from incubated hypothalami.

Stimulation of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release from the hypothalamus by interleukin 2 (IL-2) was recently demonstrated. Cytokines induce nitric oxide synthase (NOS), an enzyme that converts L-arginine into L-citrulline and nitric oxide (NO). NO is believed to be responsible for the cytotoxic action of these agents. The constitutive form of NOS occurs in neurons in the central nervous system and NO appears to play a neurotransmitter role in cerebellar and hippocampal function. We explored the probability that IL-2 and synaptic transmitters might release CRF via NO. The effects of L-arginine, the substrate for NOS, and NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), a competitive inhibitor of NOS, on IL-2-induced CRF release were studied using mediobasal hypothalami (MBHs) incubated in vitro in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer. L-Arginine did not alter basal and IL-2-induced CRF release after 30 min of incubation but significantly elevated both basal and IL-2-induced CRF release when MBHs were incubated 30 min longer, presumably because the endogenous substrate had been depleted after the initial 30-min incubation period. In 30-min incubations, both carbachol, an acetylcholineomimetic drug, and norepinephrine stimulated CRF release. There was an additive effect of incubation of the MBHs in the presence of carbachol (10(-7) M) and IL-2 (10(-13) M). On the other hand, coincubation of MBHs with norepinephrine (10(-6) M) and IL-2 (10(-13) M) did not produce any additive effect. Addition of NMMA, an inhibitor of NOS, at 1 or 3 x 10(-4) M completely suppressed IL-2-induced release of CRF as well as that caused by IL-2 plus carbachol. In contrast, the release of CRF induced by norepinephrine was not blocked by 3 x 10(-4) M NMMA. The data indicate that IL-2 can activate constitutive NOS leading to increased NO release, which activates CRF release. It appears that NO is also involved in the release of CRF induced by carbachol but not by norepinephrine.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Actions of endogenous vasopressin and oxytocin on anterior pituitary hormone secretion.

To evaluate the significance of endogenous vasopressin and oxytocin in control of anterior pituitary hormone release, antiserum against vasopressin (AB-VP) or oxytocin (AB-OT) were microinjected into the third ventricle (3V) of conscious, ovariectomized rats to immunoneutralize endogenous VP or OT, respectively. Blood samples were collected just before and at different times after the microinjections. There were no differences in the plasma LH, FSH, PRL and TSH concentrations between control groups injected into the 3V with normal rabbit serum (NRS) and groups submitted to the intraventricular injection of AB-OT or AB-VP for 24 h after the injections. Plasma growth hormone (GH) declined significantly by 4 h after NRS injection, remained low at 6 h and had rebounded to nearly initial levels at 24 h. This pattern was not changed by microinjection of AB-VP, but plasma GH increased significantly compared to initial values in the period from 1 to 24 h after intraventricular microinjection of AB-OT. The intraventricular injection of AB-VP or AB-OT significantly decreased plasma ACTH; however, the effect of AB-VP was more prolonged and persisted for 6 rather than 4 h after injection. Thus, endogenous oxytocin may play a role in the control of basal GH release probably by stimulating somatostatin secretion and/or inhibiting GH-releasing hormone secretion or by both actions. On the other hand, both endogenous vasopressin and oxytocin play a physiologically significant stimulatory role in the control of basal ACTH release.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1993

Effects of neuropeptide Y on gonadotropin and prolactin release in normal, castrated or flutamide-treated male rats.

This study was carried out to clarify the central effects of neuropeptide Y (NPY) on gonadotropin and prolactin (PRL) release in the male rat and to evaluate the hypothesis that it may play a role in negative feedback regulation of gonadotropin secretion in the male. NPY (4 micrograms in 2 microliters 0.9% NaCl) or an equal volume of saline was microinjected into the third cerebral ventricle of conscious, unrestrained rats and its effects on plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and PRL concentrations, and the gonadotropin response to LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) were measured by radioimmunoassay in noncastrated, castrated (3 days before the experiment) rats or animals treated with flutamide, an androgen receptor blocker (10 mg/kg b.w. per day subcutaneously for 3 days). Blood samples were drawn periodically from a Silastic catheter in the external jugular vein just before and for 120 min after intraventricular injections. At 90 min after injection 25 ng of LHRH were infused intravenously and 3 additional blood samples were withdrawn at 10-min intervals after the injection. Normal male rats responded to NPY with a decrease in plasma LH concentrations at 60 min. Plasma LH was significantly lower at 120 min than values in the saline-injected controls. At that time there was a significant 2-fold augmentation of their response to LHRH. In contrast, NPY elevated plasma FSH significantly versus values in controls at 15 and 30 min after injection, but the FSH release in response to LHRH was not altered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1993

The influence of interleukin-2 on the release of somatostatin and growth hormone-releasing hormone by mediobasal hypothalamus.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), which plays a major role in the bidirectional intercellular communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems, suppressed the release of GH from anterior pituitary halves at femtomolar concentrations. It is well established that the release of GH from the anterior pituitary is regulated by growth hormone releasing hormone (GRH) and growth hormone release-inhibiting hormone (somatostatin). Consequently, we studied the possible effect of IL-2 on the release of somatostatin and GRH from the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) in vitro. Single MBHs were incubated with fresh Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) buffer alone or KRB containing different concentrations of IL-2 (10(-15)-10(-10) M) for 30 min. After collection of the media, the MBHs were incubated with KRB containing high potassium (high K+ = 56 mM) without IL-2 for a period of 30 min to study the effect of pretreatment with IL-2 on depolarization-induced somatostatin and GRH release. Experiments were also undertaken to study the effect of IL-2 in the presence of high K+ or IL-2 in the presence of DA (60 microM), a potent stimulator of somatostatin and GRH release. The minimal effective dose of IL-2 which significantly stimulated the release of somatostatin was 10(-14) M. Depolarization-induced release of somatostatin was reduced significantly by prior treatment with all the concentrations of IL-2 tested (10(-13)-10(-10) M).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone abolishes IL-1- and IL-6-induced corticotropin-releasing factor release from the hypothalamus in vitro.

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), peptides derived from the precursor proopiomelanocortin, share amino acid homology at the aminoterminus of ACTH, occur within the pituitary and the brain and are potent antipyretic compounds in cytokine-mediated fever. Because alpha-MSH and ACTH act within the hypothalamus to block leukocytic pyrogen- or cytokine-mediated fever, we hypothesized that these compounds might also be capable of blocking the action of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) to stimulate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release from the hypothalamus. Mediobasal hypothalami (MBH) were incubated in vitro. After 60 min preincubation in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer (KRB), MBH explants were incubated for 30 min with KRB alone or KRB containing IL-6 (10(-13) M), IL-1 (10(-16)-10(-10) M) and/or ACTH1-24 (10(-15)-10(-9) M) or alpha-MSH (10(-15)-10(-8) M); CRF release into the incubation medium was measured by RIA. None of the ACTH1-24 or alpha-MSH concentrations changed basal CRF release significantly. As we reported previously, IL-6 (10(-13) M) increased CRF release; this increase was suppressed, in a dose-dependent fashion, by alpha-MSH at concentrations of 10(-13)-10(-11) M, with the maximal inhibitory effect observed at 10(-13) M. ACTH1-24 also exerted a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on IL-6-stimulated CRF release but at even lower concentrations (10(-15)-10(-13) M) with the maximal inhibitory effect observed with the 10(-14) M concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1993

Brain atrial natriuretic peptide neurons play an essential role in volume expansion-induced release of atrial natriuretic peptide and natriuresis.

The brain atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) neuronal system appears to be involved in the increase in plasma ANP which follows blood volume expansion in the rat. To determine if this neuronal system is essential to the natriuresis and increase in plasma ANP which follow volume expansion, highly specific antiserum against ANP (ANP-AB) and/or normal rabbit serum as a control was microinjected into the third cerebral ventricle (3V) of conscious rats, and the effect on the natriuresis and increase in plasma ANP induced by intravenous injection of 2 ml/100 g body weight of 0.3 M NaCl was examined. Although there was no effect of ANP-AB on initial levels of plasma ANP or natriuresis 3 h after 3V injection, the natriuresis in response to blood volume expansion was significantly inhibited. The increase in plasma ANP which followed volume expansion was also significantly reduced at 5 min but recovered at 15 min. The results indicate that the brain ANP neuronal system plays an essential role in the mediation of volume expansion-induced increase in plasma ANP and natriuresis. The failure to block these responses completely may be due to the use of an inadequate dose of antiserum or other brain mechanisms may be able to mediate these responses.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Possible role of endothelin acting within the hypothalamus to induce the release of atrial natriuretic peptide and natriuresis.

Since endothelin has been localized in neurons in areas involved in water and electrolyte metabolism, areas which also contain atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) neurons, we determined whether endothelin would release ANP and induce natriuresis. Endothelin-3 (ET-3) in doses ranging from 38 to 760 pmol was microinjected into the third ventricle (3V) of conscious, water-loaded male rats, and the effect on natriuresis and plasma ANP was determined. ET-3 evoked a dose-related natriuresis beginning within 20 min of injection. Even the lowest dose tested (38 pmol) was effective. At a dose of 95 pmol, it produced a rapid increase of plasma ANP within 5 min peaking at 20 min. A slight kaliuresis and antidiuresis was observed at the 2 highest doses of 380 and 760 pmol. The urinary changes following 3V injection of ET-3 were similar to those evoked by ANP, except for the antidiuresis with increased sodium concentration which followed injection of the 2 higher doses. These results suggest that these 2 higher doses also released vasopressin. Alternatively, activation of the sympathetic nervous system by these higher doses may have decreased glomerular filtration rate and been in part responsible for the antidiuresis. The results with 3V injection of ET-3 contrasted sharply with those obtained following intravenous injection of the 95-pmol dose injected intraventricularly. This intravenous dose of ANP induced a transient decrease in sodium and potassium excretion and urine volume, maximal at 20 min, and had no effect on plasma ANP concentrations at 5 or 20 min after injection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1992

The role of endogenous atrial natriuretic peptide in resting and stress-induced release of corticotropin, prolactin, growth hormone, and thyroid-stimulating hormone.

Our previous studies have shown that stimulation of the anteroventral third ventricle region increases atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) release, whereas lesions of the anteroventral third ventricle or median eminence block the release of ANP from blood volume expansion, suggesting a critical central nervous system participation in this response. ANP is also produced within neurons that have cell bodies in the rostral hypothalamus and axons that extend to the median eminence and neural lobe. In addition to its natriuretic effect, the peptide can inhibit the release of corticotropin (ACTH) and prolactin, anterior pituitary hormones that are released during stress. To determine the physiologic significance of ANP in the control of basal and stress-induced release of anterior pituitary hormones, highly specific antiserum against the peptide (AB-ANP) was microinjected into the third cerebral ventricle of conscious freely moving male rats to immunoneutralize hypothalamic ANP. In the initial experiment, the antiserum or control normal rabbit serum (NRS) was injected into the third cerebral ventricle to determine the effect of the antiserum on basal release of pituitary hormones. The antiserum had no effect on the concentrations of plasma ACTH, prolactin, or thyroid-stimulating hormone for 3 hr after the injection; however, plasma growth hormone concentration, although unchanged for 2 hr, was markedly elevated at 3 hr. These results indicate that although ANP appears to have no effect on the basal release of the other hormones, it has a physiologically significant inhibitory effect on growth hormone release. The delay of the effect is probably related to the time required for the antiserum to diffuse to the site of action of the peptide, presumably at some distance from the ventricle. Since this effect was demonstrable only after 3 hr, in the stress experiment, the antiserum or NRS was microinjected into the third ventricle 3 hr prior to application of ether stress. The rapid elevation of plasma ACTH in NRS-injected rats was markedly augmented by AB-ANP. Ether also induced a rapid increase in plasma prolactin in the NRS-injected animals, as expected. Contrary to the ACTH response, the maximal increase in plasma prolactin after ether was attenuated in animals preinjected with AB-ANP. In the NRS-injected animals, there was a significant decline in plasma growth hormone after the application of ether that was significantly accentuated by AB-ANP, but this was probably the result of the higher initial levels of plasma growth hormone in the ANP-AB group followed by its disappearance with a half-time similar to that of the NRS-injected group. The decline in plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone after ether stress was unaltered in the animals injected with AB-ANP. The results of these immunoneutralization studies suggest that endogenous ANP does not play a role in thyroid-stimulating hormone release. On the other hand, the endogenous peptide appears to have a physiologically significant inhibitory role in suppressing ACTH release during stress, mediated at least partly by suppression of vasopressin release. Endogenous ANP has a pathophysiologic role in augmenting the prolactin release in stress either by inhibiting release of prolactin-inhibiting factors or, alternatively, by enhancing release of prolactin-releasing factors. Endogenous ANP appears to inhibit resting, without altering stress-induced inhibition of growth hormone release by stimulating somatostatin release and/or inhibiting growth hormone-releasing hormone release or by both actions.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Nitric oxide mediates norepinephrine-induced prostaglandin E2 release from the hypothalamus.

Nitric oxide (NO), formed by conversion of arginine to citrulline and NO by NO synthase, mediates relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. NO synthase has been demonstrated by immunocytochemical methods in neurons in various parts of the central nervous system including the hypothalamus. The latter finding suggested to us that NO might play a role in controlling the release of hypothalamic peptides. We have previously shown that norepinephrine mediates the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) from LHRH terminals in the median eminence into the hypophyseal portal veins, which transport LHRH to the anterior pituitary gland to trigger release of luteinizing hormone from gonadotrophs. LHRH release from these terminals requires increased release of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). PGE2 activates adenylate cyclase to produce cAMP, and then cAMP induces the exocytosis of LHRH secretory granules. In view of the evidence above and because of the developing evidence for the importance of NO in the central nervous system, it occurred to us that NO might be involved in this process. Consequently, we evaluated the role of NO in the release of PGE2 from medial basal hypothalamic fragments. As previously reported, norepinephrine (10 microM) increased PGE2 release from the hypothalamic fragments. The inhibitor of NO synthase NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA, 300 microM) blocked the stimulation of PGE2 release induced by norepinephrine but had no effect on the basal release of PGE2. Sodium nitroprusside (100 microM), which liberates NO, also elevated PGE2 release from the hypothalamic fragments. This elevation was not affected by NMMA, presumably because NMMA blocks enzymatic generation of NO but does not alter NO liberated by nitroprusside. When the NO liberated by nitroprusside was inactivated by hemoglobin (2 micrograms/ml), the effect of nitroprusside on PGE2 release was completely inhibited. Neither NMMA nor hemoglobin altered the basal release of PGE2, which indicates that NO is not responsible for basal PGE2 release. Addition of L-arginine (10 microM to 1 mM), the substrate for NO synthase, had no effect on basal PGE2 production. These results indicate that NO synthase is not activated in unstimulated hypothalamic fragments in vitro. The results suggest that norepinephrine activates NO synthase leading to the production of NO, which subsequently activates cyclooxygenase and results in the production of PGE2. PGE2 then activates adenylate cyclase leading to generation of increased cAMP, which induces exocytosis of secretory granules of LHRH and other neuropeptides released by PGE2. The indication that NO is essential to norepinephrine-induced release of PGE2 from hypothalamic fragments provides insight into the mechanism of LHRH release and the results open the possibility that the importance of NO to neuronal functions may be widespread in the nervous system.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed1992

Carotid-aortic and renal baroreceptors mediate the atrial natriuretic peptide release induced by blood volume expansion.

Our previous studies have shown that stimulation of the anteroventral third ventricle (AV3V) region of the brain increases atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) release, whereas lesions of the AV3V region or median eminence of the tuber cinereum block the release of ANP caused by blood volume expansion. These results suggest that participation of the central nervous system is critical to this response. The role of baroreceptors in the response was evaluated in the current research by studying the response of plasma ANP to blood volume expansion induced by intravenous injection of hypertonic saline solution (0.3 M NaCl, 2 ml/100 g of body weight, over 1 min) in conscious, freely moving male rats. Plasma samples were assayed for ANP by radioimmunoassay. In sham-operated rats, blood volume expansion induced a rapid increase in plasma ANP: the concentration peaked at 5 min and remained elevated at 15 min after saline injection. One week after deafferentation of the carotid-aortic baroreceptors, basal plasma ANP concentrations were highly significantly decreased on comparison with values of sham-operated rats; plasma ANP levels 5 min after blood volume expansion in the deafferented rats were greatly reduced. Unilateral right vagotomy reduced resting levels of plasma ANP but not the response to blood volume expansion; resting concentrations of plasma ANP and responses to expansion were normal in bilaterally vagotomized rats. In rats that had undergone renal deafferentation, resting levels of ANP were normal but the response to blood volume expansion was significantly suppressed. The evidence indicates that afferent impulses via the right vagus nerve may be important under basal conditions, but they are not required for the ANP release induced by blood volume expansion. In contrast, baroreceptor impulses from the carotid-aortic sinus regions and the kidney are important pathways involved in the neuroendocrine control of ANP release. The evidence from these experiments and our previous stimulation and lesion studies indicates that the ANP release in response to volume expansion is mediated by afferent baroreceptor input to the AV3V region, which mediates the increased ANP release via activation of the hypothalamic ANP neuronal system.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1992

Induction of adrenocorticotropic hormone release by interleukin-6 in vivo and in vitro.

Recent reports show that cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and intravenously administered interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulate adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release. Both IL-1 and TNF are known to be potent inducers of IL-6, a monokine produced by activated monocytes and folliculo-stellate cells of the pituitary gland and released from the hypothalamus. To determine the site(s) of action of IL-6 in the control of ACTH release, we injected human recombinant IL-6 into the third brain ventricle (3V) of freely moving, conscious male rats and measured ACTH by RIA. Both 0.05 pmole and 0.25 pmole doses of IL-6 were ineffective to change plasma ACTH in comparison to the values in controls. The maximal IL-6 dose tested of 1.25 pmole increased plasma ACTH within 15 min and the response lasted over 180 min. The effects of IL-6 on plasma ACTH were only partially paralleled by increased rectal temperature which suggests that hypothalamic temperature regulating centers were independent of these actions. To evaluate a possible direct effect on the pituitary, IL-6 was incubated in vitro with hemipituitaries under an atmosphere of 95% O2/5% CO2. After 1 hr of incubation IL-6 failed to cause any change in the secretion of ACTH throughout a concentration range of 10(-15) to 10(-9) M. Increased ACTH secretion into the incubation medium was found only with 10(-13) M IL-6 after a 2-hr incubation. The results support a possible role for IL-6 at both hypothalamic and/or pituitary levels to stimulate ACTH release.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Role of neuromedin B in control of the release of thyrotropin in hypothyroid and hyperthyroid rats.

Neuromedin B (NB) is a recently discovered neuropeptide related to bombesin. It is localized to thyrotropes and we have previously shown that it directly inhibits thyrotropin (TSH) release from the anterior pituitary gland of euthyroid rats. In the current studies, we further evaluated the action of NB and antiserum directed against it in euthyroid rats and compared the actions with those in hypo- and hyperthyroid rats. Rats were rendered hypothyroid by treatment with propylthiouracil and hyperthyroid by treatment with thyroxine. In euthyroid rats, NB suppressed TSH release from hemipituitaries in vitro. Incubation of these pituitaries with highly specific antiserum against NB produced a stimulation of TSH release, whereas normal rabbit serum had no effect on the output of TSH. Thus, in euthyroid animals NB is a physiologically significant inhibitor of TSH release from the pituitary. In hypothyroid as in euthyroid animals, NB inhibited TSH release when microinjected into the third ventricle (3V) in the same dose (0.5 micrograms; 0.44 nmol) as in euthyroid rats. TSH release from hemipituitaries of hypothyroid animals was also suppressed by NB as in euthyroid animals. In hypothyroid animals, anti-NB antiserum was ineffective both in vivo after its microinjection into the 3V and in vitro on hemipituitaries, which suggests that the peptide has little physiologic significance in this condition, presumably because of its reduced release from the thyrotropes associated with diminished NB content in the pituitary of the hypothyroid rat. Intraventricular injection of NB failed to lower plasma TSH in hyperthyroid rats, which suggests that the action of the peptide is already maximal in hyperthyroidism. When antiserum to NB was microinjected twice into the 3V, there was a delayed increase in plasma TSH manifest 24 hr after the initial injection. TSH release from pituitaries of these animals was markedly increased in the presence of NB antiserum. Thus, NB has a physiologically significant TSH release-inhibiting action at the pituitary in the hyperthyroid as well as in the euthyroid rat. We conclude that in the euthyroid animal NB acts in an autocrine fashion to suppress TSH release from the thyrotropes directly. In hypothyroidism, NB synthesis and presumably release from the pituitary is decreased, such that there is no physiologic significance to the residual NB release, although the responsiveness to the inhibitory action of the peptide is increased, possibly via upregulation of its postulated receptors on the thyrotrope. In hyperthyroidism, the concentration of NB in thyrotropes and presumably its release is increased so that it has a physiologically significant TSH release-inhibiting action.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Control of anterior pituitary hormone secretion by neurotensin.

Neurotensin is localized in discrete populations of neuronal cell bodies with terminals in the hypothalamus and median eminence. High-affinity binding sites for neurotensin have been demonstrated not only in the hypothalamus but also in the pituitary gland. These studies suggest a role for neurotensin in control of hypothalamic-pituitary function. We initially demonstrated that neurotensin could block the release of prolactin in conscious, ovariectomized and male rats after its injection into the third ventricle, whereas intravenous injection of the peptide significantly elevated plasma prolactin and increased prolactin release by pituitaries incubated in vitro. These results suggested that neurotensin had opposite actions on prolactin release, an inhibitory effect at a hypothalamic site and an excitatory one at the pituitary. Further studies employing dopamine receptor blockers and inhibitors of catecholamine synthesis indicated that the action of the peptide to block prolactin release was probably mediated by release of dopamine, which then inhibited prolactin release by the pituitary gland directly. We have evaluated the physiological significance of the peptide in control of prolactin release by intraventricular injection of highly specific antiserum against neurotensin. The antiserum evoked dose-related elevations in plasma prolactin in intact males that were significant but smaller in magnitude than those seen in females, actions opposite to those of the peptide itself, which indicates that the inhibitory action of the peptide within the brain is physiologically significant. Intravenous injection of this antiserum produced a significant suppression of plasma prolactin in females but not males, which indicates that the previously demonstrated stimulatory effect of the peptide on prolactin release by the gland is also physiologically significant because immunoneutralization of the peptide resulted in a decline in plasma prolactin. Our earlier experiments revealed that neurotensin had a dose-related ability to inhibit LH release in ovariectomized and ovariectomized, estrogen progesterone-treated rats. Since it had no effect on the release of LH in vitro, we assigned a hypothalamic site for this action. It appears that this inhibitory effect of the peptide to suppress LH release is also physiologically significant since the intraventricular injection of the antiserum against the peptide produced a dose-related stimulation of LH release in ovariectomized and ovariectomized, estrogen progesterone-blocked rats. The mechanism by which endogenous neurotensin inhibits the release of LHRH has yet to be evaluated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effects of thymosin alpha-1 on pituitary hormone release.

The thymosins are a family of hormone-like products of epithelial cells of the thymus which are important in maintenance and function of the immune system. Thymosin fraction 5, a partially purified extract of calf thymus, can influence pituitary hormone release. We have studied the effects of thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1), the first peptide isolated from thymosin fraction 5, on thyrotropin (TSH), adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), prolactin (Prl) and growth hormone (GH) release. To evaluate its effect in vivo we injected the peptide into the third ventricle of conscious male rats and measured the concentration of the pituitary hormones in plasma at different times after the injection. Following third-ventricular injection of T alpha 1, there was a significant decrease in plasma TSH and ACTH concentrations in comparison with values of control groups injected with diluent. The decrease in plasma TSH was of longer duration and was obtained with a lower dose of T alpha 1 than that of ACTH. Also, a significant decrease in plasma Prl was observed, with the same dose as for TSH. On the other hand, there were no significant changes in plasma GH. To examine if there is any direct effect of T alpha 1 at the pituitary level, we incubated hemipituitaries from male rats in vitro with different concentrations of the peptide. In this system T alpha 1 evoked a dose-dependent release of TSH and ACTH, while there was no effect on the release of Prl and GH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

PubMed1992

Involvement of arachidonic acid cascade pathways in interleukin-6-stimulated corticotropin-releasing factor release in vitro.

We have demonstrated that centrally administered interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulates adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion by a direct effect on corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release from the hypothalamus. Since metabolites of the arachidonic acid cascade (AAC) have been implicated in mediating actions of cytokines in different tissues and some AAC inhibitors were able to block pyrogenic effects of cytokines and suppress IL-1-induced ACTH secretion, we decided to examine the mechanism of IL-6 action on CRF release in vitro. After a 60-min preincubation in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer, medial basal hypothalami (MBH) were preincubated for 30 min with dexamethasone (DEX), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, to block arachidonic acid (AA) formation, or with inhibitors of AA metabolism: a cyclooxygenase inhibitor--indomethacin (IND); a lipoxygenase inhibitor--5,8,11-eicosatriynoic acid (ETI), and an epoxygenase inhibitor--clotrimazole (CLO). Then, the medium was discarded and MBH were incubated with medium or the above compounds and/or IL-6 for 30 min, and CRF release into the incubation medium was measured by radioimmunoassay. As reported previously, 10(-13) M IL-6 increased CRF release, which was significantly suppressed by DEX in a dose-dependent manner. The suppression was already highly significant at a concentration of 10(-11) M DEX and became maximal at 10(-7) M, at which concentration CRF release was no longer stimulated by IL-6. The response to IL-6 was completely blocked at the highest DEX concentration evaluated (10(-5) M). CLO also suppressed IL-6-induced CRF release with a minimal effective dose of 10(-9) M. Suppression was complete at 10(-7) and 10(-5) M.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Effect of thymosin alpha 1 on hypothalamic hormone release.

Thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1) is a well-characterized immunopotentiating polypeptide originally isolated from calf thymus. We have recently shown in vivo, probable hypothalamic effects of T alpha 1 to decrease the release of the pituitary hormones, TSH, PRL and ACTH from the pituitary gland. Therefore, in the present study we evaluated the effect of the peptide on the release of hypothalamic regulatory hormones: thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), as well as somatostatin (SRIH), from medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) fragments incubated in vitro. After a preliminary time-course study indicated that a 30-min incubation period was optimal, it was used for all the other experiments. At the end of the incubation the tissue was still able to respond to a depolarizing K+ concentration for 15 min by a 4-fold increase of TRH concentration compared to control basal release during the preceding 30 min. T alpha 1 was shown to inhibit the release of TRH and CRH from MBH fragments incubated in vitro with a minimal effective dose (MED) of 10(-11) M. SRIH and CRH release was also inhibited but the MED for these peptides was 10(-9) M. The relative responsiveness to the action of T alpha 1 was TRH greater than CRH, which was greater than SRIH. This correlated with our previous in vivo results for pituitary hormone release, except in the case of SRIH since we previously did not detect any significant effect of the peptide on growth hormone release. Finally, we evaluated the possible involvement of other neurotransmitters in the effect of T alpha 1 on TRH release.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗