Differences in prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide metabolism by hypothalamus,pituitary and cerebral cortex of male and female rats

l-Prolyl-l-leucyl-glycinamide is rapidly hydrolyzed by hypothalamic, hypophyseal and cortical homogenates from male or female rats. The peptidase activity is higher in the pituitary followed in decreasing order by the hypothalamus and the cerebral cortex. It is mostly localized in the supernatant fraction of a 100,000 g centrifugation and is inhibited by bacitracin.Tissues from female rats are half as active as those from male rats and show variations during the estrous cycle, with very low PLG metabolism at diestrus 1 in pituitary and hypothalamus. In contrast, the cerebral cortex at proestrus and estrus has significant lower hydrolyzing activity than at diestrus. No change of the peptidase activity is observed in tissues from ovariectomized animals after treatment with estrogen or progesterone.The results obtained suggest the existence of a correlation between peptidasic activity and melanotropin secretion.     

Conformational analysis of pGlu-His-Amph and pGlu-His-Pro-Amph related to their central nervous system activity

The compounds pGlu-His-Pro-Amph and pGlu-His-Amph obtained from the condensation of TRH or a fragment of TRH with amphetamine show activities which are different regarding the parent compounds. Although the two derivatives exhibit about the same low toxicity they differ in several pharmacological properties. Physicochemical analysis by 1H-NMR and CD spectroscopy was carried out in order to detect in the two compounds conformational differences that might explain their different activities. The results show that in the proline containing peptide the amphetamine has a hindered rotation in comparison with the compounds devoid of proline. This, together with the occurrence of a cis conformer having different properties than the trans conformer could be the origin of the biological difference observed between the two hybrid compounds.     

An electron microscopic study of stellate cells and cavities in the pars distalis of frog pituitary

Stellate cells in the pars distalis of adult Rana ridibunda were observed electron microscopically under normal and experimental conditions (TRH injection). The stellate cells have lengthy processes extending into the intercellular spaces between the secretory cells and scanty cytoplasm surrounding the nucleus. Occasional desmosomes link stellate cells to adjacent secretory cells. In the pars distalis of animals injected with thyrotropic-releasing hormone (TRH), the stellate cells form large cavities (2-6 mum) filled with heterogeneous material. Their cytoplasm contains well-developed Golgi complexes and some lysosomes; these are the principal morphological alterations as compared to those observed in control animals. It is suggested that stellate cells could play an active role in addition to providing a structural framework for the pars distalis.     

Ontogenetic development of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-immunoreactive structures in the brain of the mallard embryo

Summary Developmental changes of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)-immunoreactive structures in the brain of mallard embryos were studied by means of immunocytochemistry (PAP technique). The primary antibody was generated against synthetic TRH. Immunoreactive neurons were first detected in the hypothalamus of 14-day-old embryos. By day 20, increasing numbers of immunoreactive perikarya were observed in the paraventricular nucleus, anterior preoptic region and supraoptic region. Immunoreactive fiber projections were seen in the median eminence as early as embryonic day 20; they occurred also in some extrahypothalamic regions (lateral septum, accumbens nucleus). The number and staining intensity of the cell bodies increased up to hatching, and continued to increase during the first week after hatching.     

Regulation of thyroid hormone metabolism in rat liver fractions

The nature of the conversion of thyroxine (T₄) to triiodothyronine (T₃) and reverse triiodothyronine (rT₃) was investigated in rat liver homogenate and microsomes. A 6-fold rise of T₃ and 2.5-fold rise of rT₃ levels determined by specific radioimmunoassays was observed over 6 h after the addition of T₄. An enzymic process is suggested that converts T₄ to T₃ and rT₃. For T₃ the optimal pH is 6 and for rT₃, 9.5. The converting activity for both T₃ and rT₃ is temperature dependent and can be suppressed by heat, H₂O₂, merthiolate and by 5-propyl-2-thiouracil. rT₃ and to a lesser degree iodide, were able to inhibit the production of T₃ in a dose related fashion. Therefore the pH dependendy, rT₃ and iodide may regulate the availability of T₃ or rT₃ depending on the metabolic requirements of thyroid hormones.     

Disruption of the Plasma Membrane Integrity by Cholesterol Depletion Impairs Effectiveness of TRH Receptor-Mediated Signal Transduction via Gq/G11α Proteins

We monitored the radioligand-binding characteristics of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptors, functional activity of G_q/11α proteins, and functional status of the whole signaling cascade in HEK293 expressing high levels of TRH receptors and G₁₁α. Our analyses indicated that disruption of plasma membrane microdomains by cholesterol depletion did not markedly influence the binding parameters of TRH receptors, but it altered efficacy of signal transduction. The functional coupling between TRH receptor and G_q/11α was assessed by agonist-stimulated [³⁵S]GTPγS binding, and results of these measurements pointed out to significantly lower potency of TRH to mediate G protein activation in the plasma membrane fraction isolated from cholesterol-depleted cells; there was a shift in sensitivity by one order of magnitude to the higher concentrations. A markedly lower sensitivity to stimulation with TRH was also observed in our experiments dealing with determination of hormone-induced Ca²⁺ response. These data suggest that the intact structure of plasma membranes is an important optimum signal transduction initiated by TRH receptors and mediated by G_q/11α proteins.     

In vitro neuroprotection against glutamate-induced toxicity by pGlu-Glu-Pro-NH2 (EEP)

EEP is a tripeptide structurally similar to thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and, like TRH, it is found in the mammalian brain. TRH has been found to increase in brain regions after seizures and to be neuroprotective. EEP has also been shown to increase in brain regions following seizure activity. We therefore sought to determine whether the similarities between these two peptides might be extended to include neuroprotection. Both TRH and EEP were found to be neuroprotective in vitro against an excitotoxic insult. Interestingly, the two tripeptides appeared to have different mechanisms of action. Even though EEP was as much as four times more neuroprotective than TRH, its ability to reduce glutamate-stimulated increases in intraneuronal Ca²⁺ was about half that of TRH.     

Multifactorial Modulation of TRH Metabolism

1. Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), synthesized in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), is released in response to physiological stimuli through medianeminence nerve terminals to control thyrotropin or prolactin secretion from the pituitary.2. Several events participate in the metabolism of this neuropeptide: regulation of TRH biosynthesis and release as well as modulation of its inactivation by the target cell.3. Upon a physiological stimulus such as cold stress or suckling, TRH is released and levels of TRH mRNA increase in a fast and transient manner in the PVN; a concomitant increase in cfos is observed only with cold exposure.4. Hypothalamic cell cultures incubated with cAMP or phorbol esters show a rise in TRH mRNA levels; dexamethasone produces a further increase at short incubation times.TRH mRNA are thus controlled by transsynaptic and hormonal influences.5. Once TRH is released, it is inactivated by a narrow specificity ectoenzyme, pyroglu-tamyl peptidase II (PPII).6. In adenohypophysis, PPII is subject to stringent control: positive by thyroid hormones and negative by TRH; other hypothalamic factors such as dopamine and somatostatin also influence its activity.7. These combined approaches suggest that TRH action is modulated in a coordinate fashion.     

Ca2+ responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone and angiotensin II: the role of plasma membrane integrity and effect of G11alpha protein overexpression on homologous and heterologous desensitization

The molecular mechanisms involved in GPCR-initiated signaling cascades where the two receptors share the same signaling cascade, such as thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and angiotensin II (ANG II), are still far from being understood. Here, we analyzed hormone-induced Ca(2+) responses and the process of desensitization in HEK-293 cells, which express endogenous ANG II receptors. These cells were transfected to express exogenously high levels of TRH receptors (clone E2) or both TRH receptors and G(11)alpha protein (clone E2M11). We observed that the characteristics of the Ca(2+) response, as well as the process of desensitization, were both strongly dependent on receptor number and G(11)alpha protein level. Whereas treatment of E2 cells with TRH or ANG II led to significant desensitization of the Ca(2+) response to subsequent addition of either hormone, the response was not desensitized in E2M11 cells expressing high levels of G(11)alpha. In addition, stimulation of both cell lines with THR elicited a clear heterologous desensitization to subsequent stimulation with ANG II. On the other hand, ANG II did not affect a subsequent response to TRH. ANG II-mediated signal transduction was strongly dependent on plasma membrane integrity modified by cholesterol depletion, but signaling through TRH receptors was altered only slightly under these conditions. It may be concluded that the level of expression of G-protein-coupled receptors and their cognate G-proteins strongly influences not only the magnitude of the Ca(2+) response but also the process of desensitization and resistance to subsequent hormone addition.     

下丘脑Nesfatin-1抑食效应及机制研究

目的:探讨下丘脑nesfatin-1与组胺信号通路间的相互作用及对摄食的影响。方法:采用第三脑室置管、药物注射、免疫组化、ELISA等方法,观察氟甲基组氨酸(FMH)、α螺旋促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素(CRH)和促甲状腺激素释放激素(TRH)对Nesfatin-1诱导的抑制摄食的影响,以及Nesfatin-1与组胺信号通路相互影响调控摄食机制。结果:第三脑室注射nesfatin-1可显著减少大鼠摄食量,而第三脑室内预先注射FMH,nesfatin-1抑制摄食效应明显减弱,但FMH本身并不影响大鼠夜间摄食量。第三脑室注射nesfatin-1,可显著增加优降宁诱发的PVN、腹内侧核(VMH)、结节乳头核(TMN)内t-MH的积累;但腹腔注射nesfatin-1没有引起大鼠摄食改变,t-MH蓄积也无显著变化。第三脑室注射α螺旋CRH或抗TRH血清均可显著减弱nesfatin-1的抑食效应,而α螺旋CRH、抗TRH血清本身并不显著影响大鼠摄食量。第三脑室注射nesfatin-1可显著增加下丘脑PVN内CRH和TRH水平,且nesfatin-1可显著增加优降宁诱导的PVN、VMH和TMN内t-MH的表达,而α螺旋CRH或抗TRH血清可显著抑制nesfatin-1诱导的PVN、VMH和TMH内t-MH的蓄积。第三脑室注射组胺可显著增加大鼠下丘脑PVN内nesfatin-1含量,但LH、VMH、TMN以及血浆内nesfatin-1水平无显著改变。免疫组化研究显示,PVN内有nesfatin-1和H1-R免疫反应阳性神经元,且部分神经元共存。结论:Nesfatin-1的抑食效应可能与下丘脑组胺信号通路介导。