垂体柄阻滞麻醉对急性失血时大鼠血浆ACTH分泌的影响

目的 :探讨肽能神经纤维进入垂体前叶的途径及神经纤维的功能。方法① :经咽旁入路切断大鼠垂体柄 ,术后 8d观察垂体前叶内CGRP免疫反应阳性纤维密度的变化。结果 :切断垂体柄术后一周垂体前叶内约 80 %的CGRP免疫反应阳性纤维消失 ,提示至少绝大部分的CGRP免疫反应纤维经过垂体柄进入垂体前叶 ,残留纤维是溃变不完全抑或是另有来源尚不清楚。方法② :暴露大鼠垂体柄。切除或保留肾上腺 ,保温静置 60min后局麻垂体柄 ,股动脉放血刺激ACTH分泌。结果 :①切除肾上腺并局麻垂体柄大鼠 ,急性失血后 5min内ACTH水平低于对照组 ,在 3min时间点差异显著 (P <0 .0 5 )。保留肾上腺组大鼠局麻垂体柄后对失血的应激反应亦呈同样趋势。结论 :上述结果提示垂体柄内可能存在兴奋性纤维促进急性失血后ACTH的快速分泌反应 ,但该作用可能被迅速增强的CRH作用逐渐掩盖 ;②急性失血后各组大鼠垂体前叶POMCmRNA变化不明显。     

乌龟脑垂体显微及其腺垂体超微结构的研究

乌龟脑垂体由柄形神经垂体和椭圆形腺垂体两部分组成,神经垂体位于腺垂体后部上方呈背腹型排列。神经垂体中神经叶不发达,腺垂体分为远侧部和中间部,特殊空泡结构成为垂体门脉系统的特征。远侧部细胞分为嗜酸性细胞、嗜碱性细胞和嫌色细胞3种。通过透射电镜观察,腺垂体远侧部主要有5种分泌激素细胞:即生长激素(GH)分泌细胞、催乳激素(PRL)分泌细胞、促甲状腺激素(TSH)分泌细胞、促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)分泌细胞、促性腺激素(GTH)分泌细胞和非分泌类型滤泡-星形细胞(FS)。生长激素分泌细胞核大、分泌颗粒少的特征成为乌龟与其他动物最大的区别,可能与乌龟具有生长慢、寿命长的生物学特性有关。       

乙酰胆碱对三种人垂体腺瘤细胞增殖及凋亡的影响

为了解乙酰胆碱（acetylcholine,ACh)在人垂体腺瘤发生、发展中的作用,本研究首先观察了人垂体腺瘤细胞内是否存在合成ACh必需的胆碱乙酰转移酶,并应用MTT实验、[^3H]TdR掺入实验、细胞周期分析和TUNEL法测定了ACh对体外培养的人垂体无功能瘤、催乳素瘤和生长激素瘤等三种瘤细胞增殖和凋亡的影响。结果发现：（1）三种垂体腺瘤细胞中均有胆碱酯酶的表达,但明显少于正常垂体;（2）ACh对三种类型的人垂体腺瘤细胞增殖代谢的影响相类似,不同浓度的ACh能明显抑制体外培养的三种人垂体腺瘤细胞的增殖,呈明显的剂量效应关系,同时ACh能减少垂体腺瘤细胞进入S、G2期的细胞比例,而使处于G1期的细胞比例增加;（3）ACh的这种作用可被阿托品阻断,但不受筒箭毒的影响;（4）ACh对体外培养的三种人垂体腺瘤细胞凋亡无明显影响。该结果提示,ACh可能以旁分泌或自分泌的方式作用于垂体前叶细胞,对垂体腺瘤细胞增殖分化有调控作用,而且是通过ACh M受体来实现的。     

κ-阿片受体拮抗剂MR-2266-BS对ACTH和催乳素释放的影响

颈外静脉预置硅橡胶导管的清醒、自由活动的大鼠,静脉内注射κ-阿片受体特异拮抗剂MR-2266-BS,观察它对促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)和催乳素静息分泌和限制性应激时释放的影响。结果表明,3mg/kg/0.5ml的MR-2266-BS显著阻断限制性应激时血浆ACTH水平的增加,但有进一步升高应激时血浆催乳素水平的趋势;对两种激素的静息分泌均无影响。给MR-2266-BS的剂量达6mg/kg/0.5ml时,则显著增加血浆ACTH的静息水平,对催乳素的静息分泌仍无影响;此剂量使应激时血浆中两种激素的水平,均呈现进一步上升。这些结果提示,内源性阿片样物质可能参与垂体前叶激素释放的调控。其中κ-阿片受体及其内源性配体,对ACTH的释放既有兴奋也有抑制性作用;对催乳素的影响似乎只抑制其应激时的大量释放。     

乌脑龟垂体显微及其腺垂体超微结构的研究

乌龟脑垂体由柄形神经垂体和椭圆形腺垂体两部分组成,神经垂体位于腺垂体后部上方呈背腹型排列。神经垂体中神经叶不发达,腺垂体分为远侧部和中间部,特殊空泡结构成为垂体门脉系统的特征。远侧部细胞分为嗜酸性细胞、嗜碱性细胞和嫌色细胞3种。通过透射电镜观察,腺垂体远侧部主要有5种分泌激素细胞：即生长激素（GH）分泌细胞、催乳激素（PRL）分泌细胞、促甲状腺激素（TSH）分泌细胞、促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）分泌细胞、促性腺激素（GTH）分泌细胞和非分泌类型滤泡．星形细胞（Fs）。生长激素分泌细胞核大、分泌颗粒少的特征成为乌龟与其他动物最大的区别,可能与乌龟具有生长慢、寿命长的生物学特性有关。     

免疫细胞促肾上腺皮质激素受体分布特性

促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)是重要的垂体激素之一,在维持机体内环境稳定中具有重要作用,免疫细胞ACTH受体在免疫系统接受垂体激素ACTH的信息传递中具有重要作用。已有报道在小鼠脾脏细胞、传代细胞系BCL1细胞和人外周血淋巴细胞(PBL)都有ACTH受体分布。本工作探讨了ACTH受体在大鼠免疫细胞上的分布特性。     

GnRH相关肽在大鼠垂体前叶的细胞学定位

本研究应用特异性抗GnRH相关肽(GAP)N端11个氨基酸的抗血清和六种垂体前叶激素的抗血清,通过免疫组织化学双重染色技术观察GAP在大鼠垂体前叶细胞的定位。结果发现,GAP样免疫反应性物质存在于LH细胞和FSH细胞,而未见于GH、PRL、TSH和ACTH细胞。本文首次证明GAP存在于正常大鼠垂体促性腺激素细胞,为GAP调节LH和FSH的分泌提供了形态学证据;也支持GAP的功能序列在其分子的N端,或GAP进一步裂解出N端片段而发挥作用。     

吗啡和内啡素对生殖内分泌活动的影响

内源性鸦片样物质(endogenous opiate like substance)亦称内啡素(endorphins),主要分布在脑、垂体和胃肠道等处。在脑内,内啡素具有选择性的分布。在下丘脑正中隆起区域含量较高,提示它可能对垂体激素的分泌具有重要作用。许多作者报告,给动物脑室注射微量的β-内啡肽或脑啡肽,即可明显地促进垂体前叶促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)、生长激素(GH)和促甲状腺激素(TSH)的分泌,同时对垂体促性腺激素的分泌亦有明显的影响。因此内啡素是体内调制生殖内分泌活动的一个重要因素。     

CRF也能调节垂体中叶和后叶

下丘脑的促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子(CRF)可强烈刺激在体垂体前部促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)的分泌。最近,用组织化学方法显示,在垂体柄和垂体后部存在CRF免疫反应阳性纤维。还有实验表明,CRF也影响垂体中叶肽类物质的释放。这些结果提示:CRF可能对垂体后部及中间部均起一定的作用。Saavedra等用放射免疫测定法观察完全切断垂体柄对大鼠垂体中间部及后部CRF样物质含量的影响。结果表明,假手术组大鼠垂体中叶及后叶的CRF含量分别为591±78和487±34ng/mg蛋白,而切断垂体     

垂体内细胞间信息可调节ACTH分泌

腺垂体分泌促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)的功能受多种促进和抑制其分泌因子的调节。近来发现,腺垂体内还存在多种分泌ACTH的细胞亚型。一种新合成的试剂——CRF靶细胞特异性细胞毒结合物CX,可特异性引起腺垂体CRF靶细胞死亡。利用它来研究腺垂体内细胞信息与ACTH分泌的关系。     

Thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) stimulates secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from cultured rat pituitaries

In vivo administration of a partially purified thymic hormone-containing extract of the thymus gland, TF5, causes an increase in serum glucocorticoids. The lack of a direct effect of TF5 on adrenal corticosterone secretion suggests that it is mediated at the level of the pituitary. Cultured rat pituitary monolayers were used to determine if the effect is mediated by stimulation of ACTH secretion from the pituitary. Two lots of TF5, BPP100 and C114080-01, caused a dose dependent secretion of ACTH from cultured pituitary monolayers. There was a synergistic effect when the cells were treated with both TF5 and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). Immunoneutralization studies were done in which the cells were treated with TF5 or CRF and an antibody to CRF. The antibody completely blocked CRF induced ACTH release, but had no effect on TF5 stimulated ACTH release, suggesting that the activity is not due to a CRF-like peptide in TF5. A number of peptides isolated from TF5, and certain other peptides produced by the immune system were evaluated for their ability to stimulate ACTH secretion. These included thymosin (TSN) alpha 1, alpha 11, and beta 4, prothymosin alpha (PT alpha, thymopoeitin 5 (TP5), factuer thymique serique (FTS), interferon alpha (INF alpha), INF gamma, interleukin 1 (IL-1), and interleukin 2 (IL-2). None of these factors had any effect on pituitary ACTH secretion. These results demonstrate that some peptide component of TF5 causes an increase in serum corticosteroids by stimulating pituitary ACTH release.     

ACTH release in pituitary cell cultures. Effect of neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances on ACTH release induced by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF).

The effects of various neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances on the release of ACTH induced by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (HY-CRF) were investigated using monolayer cultured anterior pituitary cells. Test substances were given in combination with 0.05-0.1 hypothalamic extract (HE)/ml, because HE evoked a significant ACTH release and a linear dose response relationship was demonstrated sequentially between 0.0165 HE/ml and 0.5 HE/ml. Relative high doses of lysine-vasopressin showed a slight additive effect on the release of ACTH induced by 0.1 HE/ml. Leu-enkephalin, dopamine, prostaglandin E1 and E2 slightly reduced the release of ACTH induced by HY-CRF, but the inhibitory effect of these substances were not dose-related. Other tested substances including luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, thyrotropin releasing hormone, somatostatin, melanocyte stimulating hormone release inhibiting factor, beta-endorphin, neurotensin, substance P, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, angiotensin II, norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, histamine and gamma-amino butyric acid showed neither agonistic nor antagonistic effect on the release of ACTH induced by HY-CRF. These results indicate that the release of ACTH is controlled specifically by HY-CRF and corticosterone, and modified slightly by some other substances such as vasopressin and prostaglandins, and that the effect of most other neurogenic peptides and neurotransmitter substances is negligible or non-physiological at the pituitary level.     

Effects of lithium on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis

The effect of lithium on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis was studied in vivo and in vitro. The levels of plasma vasopressin, ACTH and corticosterone increased after the administration of lithium (LiCl 4 mmol/kg BW, 11 days) in rats, while the tissue vasopressin concentration in the median eminence, the rest of the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary was decreased. The CRF concentration in the posterior pituitary increased markedly, but it did not change significantly in the median eminence or the rest of the hypothalamus. The elevated plasma ACTH level might be at least partly due to the increased vasopression secretion. Lithium stimulated ACTH secretion per se and also enhanced vasopressin-induced ACTH secretion in cultured pituitary cells and in half pituitary incubations, while it did not affect CRF-induced ACTH secretion. Lithium inhibited CRF-induced cAMP accumulation in half pituitary incubations, while lithium and vasopressin did not affect cAMP accumulation per se or even when administered together. The results suggest that lithium-induced ACTH release is via a cAMP-independent mechanism. Thus, it is possible that lithium stimulates ACTH release by acting directly on the corticotroph, stimulating vasopressin release and potentiating vasopressin-induced ACTH release.     

Hypothalamic and pituitary effects of prostaglandins on ACTH secretion

Various prostaglandins (PGs) were tested for their effects on ACTH secretion upon injection into the anterior pituitary, basomedial hypothalamus, basolateral hypothalamus, or a tail vein in anesthetized female rats. In some experiments, the PGs were injected in combination with a CRF preparation. The greatest effect seen was the stimulation of ACTH (and presumably CRF) secretion exerted at the basomedial hypothalamus. At the anterior pituitary, the PGs alone were without effect, but they did decrease the magnitude of the response to subsequent CRF.     

Site of inhibitory action of CRE 9-41 on ACTH release from isolated rat pituitary cells

The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) analog CRF 9-41 inhibits CRF, but not forskolin or dibutyryl cyclic AMP, stimulated release of ACTH from isolated pituitary cells. CRF 9-41 also blocks CRF-stimulated accumulation of cyclic AMP in a parallel dose dependent fashion. CRF 9-41 has no effect on basal ACTH release or cAMP levels. This substantiates that the analog acts as a direct CRF antagonist and that the site of this inhibition is most likely at the level of binding of CRF to its receptor on the corticotrope. Various substances, including most prominently glucocorticoids, inhibit release of ACTH from the pituitary. In an effort to develop another class of inhibitors, Rivier et al recently synthesized analogs of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF). One among these, alpha-helical ovine CRF 9-41 blunts adrenalectomy and stress induced ACTH release in non-anesthetized rats. At micromolar concentrations, CRF 9-41, shifts rightward the dose response of isolated pituitary cells to ovine CRF. Thus, the authors suggested that CRF 9-41 acts as a competitive antagonist to CRF-induced ACTH secretion. CRF appears to act through stimulation of adenylate cyclase. To determine the potential site of action of CRF 9-41 in the activation sequence for adenylate cyclase, we studied its effects on pituitary cyclic AMP formation and ACTH secretion from dispersed anterior pituitary cells derived from normal adult rats, as well as, its interaction with cyclic nucleotide agonists.     

Hypothalamic and pituitary effects of prostaglandins on ACTH secretion.

Various prostaglandins (PGs) were tested for their effects on ACTH secretion upon injection into the anterior pituitary, basomedial hypothalamus, basolateral hypothalamus, or a tail vein in anesthetized female rats. In some experiments, the PGs were injected in combination with a CRF preparation. The greatest effect seen was the stimulation of ACTH (and presumably CRF) secretion exerted at the basomedial hypothalamus. At the anterior pituitary, the PGs alone were without effect, but they did decrease the magnitude of the response to subsequent CRF.     

Pituitary regulation of preovulatory estrogen secretion in the rat

The factors stimulating estrogen secretion in the preovulatory phase and an attempt to explain the mechanism of termination of estrogen secretion are discussed. Female Wistar rats, hypophysectomized at 1 p.m. in proestrus, were injected with rat pituitary extracts. Ovarian venous blood was collected and the estrogen activity of the plasma was measured. The estrogen secretion was minimized within 3 hours after hypophysectomy. The rat pituitary extract caused an 11-fold increase of estrogen concentration in the ovarian venous blood within 1 hour. Either LH or FSH alone was able to restore the estrogen secretion: LH took 1 hour to reach maximal response, FSH 2 hours. In the 1-hour test, the minimal effective dose for LH appeared to be less than .25 mcg per rat, for FSH, 2.5 mcg per rat. The total ability of the two preparations to produce estrogen appeared to be the same. 10 I.U. of prolactin slightly stimulated estrogen secretion, but 20 mU of ACTH was quite negative. These results demonstrate the pituitary gonadotropin dependency of estrogen secretion from the ovary having ripened follicles. It also showed that the ovary, after completion of ovulatory surge of LH, abolished its reactivity to the pituitary extract containing sufficient amount of substances in promoting estrogen secretion. Either LH or FSH was able to terminate estrogen secretion even at minute doses as small as 10 mcg. This shows that both FSH and LH provide a dual effect on ovarian estrogen secretion at the preovulatory stage, promotion and suppression. Promotion is an acute and direct action of hormones on steroidogenesis and suppression probably a delayed and indirect action of ovulation-inducing hormone, the release of which initiates the differentiation of estrogen-forming cells towards ovulation unfavorable to estrogen synthesis.     

The met-enkephalin analog FK 33-824 directly inhibits ACTH release by the rat pituitary gland in vitro

Systematic administration of the enkephalin analog FK 33-824 was previously shown to stimulate PRL secretion and to inhibit ACTH secretion in man. Naloxone prevented the effect on PRL release, but not on ACTH release. In this study, the direct action of this analog on hormone release by rat anterior pituitary lobes $\text{in}$$\text{vitro}$ were investigated. 1 uM FK 33-824 inhibited basal ACTH secretion by anterior pituitary glands in vitro, while 0.1 uM and 1 uM attenuated the lysine vasopressin stimulated ACTH release. Naloxone did not reverse the inhibitory action of the analog on ACTH release. β-Endorphin (0.01 - 1 uM) did not directly affect ACTH release. Basal and dopamine-induced inhibition of PRL release by anterior pituitary glands was neither influenced by FK 33-824 (0.1 and 1 uM), nor by β-endorphin (0.1 and 1 uM) with or without bacitracin. This study shows that the long-acting met-enkephalin analog FK 33-824 differentially affects PRL and ACTH secretion by the pituitary gland. It seems to stimulate PRL release at a suprapituitary site and this action probably involves u opiate receptors, because naloxone prevents these stimulatory effects. The inhibitory effect of FK 33-824 on ACTH release, however, is mediated via a direct effect at the pituitary level, which does not involve u receptors, as naloxone did not prevent this effect. In this respect, its action differs from that of β-endorphin, which does not directly affect ACTH release by the anterior pituitary gland.     

The effects of ACTH 1-17 on GH secretion in vitro

Recently we demonstrated that ACTH 1-17 infusion in normal subjects is able to stimulate growth hormone (GH) secretion. In order to study the mechanism by which ACTH 1-17 induces this hormonal secretory pattern, we examined the effects of ACTH 1-17 addition to primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells and of two human pituitary adenomas (a mixed GH- and PRL-secreting adenoma and a prolactinoma) on GH and PRL secretion. Normal rat pituitary cells responded to rGRF with a dose-dependent increase of rGH: ACTH 1-17 induced a slight not significant increase of rGH secretion even at micromolar concentrations. Furthermore no additive effect of ACTH 1-17 on rGRF-stimulated GH release was observed. No significant stimulatory effect was also documented in the human tumors studied. These results suggest that the GH releasing activity of ACTH 1-17 observed in vivo is mediated via a direct action on CNS.     

Multireceptor-induced release of adrenocorticotropin from anterior pituitary tumor cells

Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), (?) isoproterenol and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) induced cyclic AMP synthesis and the release of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) from clonal mouse AtT-20 pituitary tumor cells. CRF and (?) isoproterenol together produced an additive increase in cyclic AMP formation but a less than additive effect on ACTH secretion. VIP with either CRF or (?) isoproterenol produced additive increases in both cyclic AMP and ACTH secretion. Forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase stimulated the release of ACTH suggesting that cyclic AMP mediates some of the effects of hormone-receptor activation on ACTH secretion. The action of all three receptor agonists and forskolin on ACTH release was blocked by dexamethasone treatment. The release process, but not the changes in cyclic AMP synthesis was calcium dependent with all these hormones. The calcium ionophore, A-23187, increased ACTH secretion without altering intracellular cyclic AMP content. Its effect on secretion was not additive with either CRF, (?) isoproterenol or VIP. These observations indicate that hormone-induced regulation of ACTH secretion converges at varying intracellular locations.