Participation of peptide hydra morphogen in the regulation of proliferation processes in different tissues of white rats]

The PMH influence on proliferation processes in some tissues of white rats was studied. PMH injections in doses 10.0 mkg/kg and 100.0 mkg/kg stimulated the processes of DNA--synthesis after 24 hours in corneal and tongue epithelium. The direct dose-dependent effect was revealed. PMH in dose 10.0 mkg/kg activated the proliferative processes in the stomach epithelium and thymus cortex. after 24 hours too. The given dose of PMH caused trustworthy decreasing of proliferative activity in thymus after 4 hours. The stimulation of DNA-synthesis and acceleration of mitosis were found after 5-times application on white rat's corneal with 100 nM PMH solution.     

An ACTH-like peptide immunocortin: effect on the activity of cells from the rat adrenal cortex

The effect of immunocortin, an ACTH-like decapeptide VKKPGSSVKV corresponding to the 11-20 sequence of the variable part of the human IgG1 heavy chain on the content of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (CS) in rat adrenal glands and blood serum in vivo was studied. An intramuscular injection of immunocortin at a dose of 10 microg/kg was found in an hour to induce a twofold decrease in CS content in the adrenal glands and a 1.8-fold increase in the blood serum CS content. At the same time, an immunocortin dose of 100 microg/kg exerted practically no effect on the CS content and its dose of 1000 microg/kg increased the CS content both in adrenal glands and in blood serum by 1.6 and 2.2 times, respectively. Four hours after the injection of any of the three doses of immunocortin, the CS content in adrenal glands did not differ from the control value, and after 24 h the content decreased threefold. Immunocortin was shown to be bound by the ACTH receptors in the membranes of the rat adrenal cortex with a high affinity and specificity (inhibiting the specific binding of 125I-labeled ACTH-(11-24) peptide with Ki of 1.2 nM).     

Analysis of the mechanism of the stress-protective action of delta sleep-inducing peptide

By RIA there were studied the contents of corticosterone, ACTH, beta-endorphin and insulin in the blood plasma, met- and leu-enkephalin in different regions of the rat brain and in the adrenal glands after a 6-hour immobilization. The stress increased the content of corticosterone, ACTH, beta-endorphin, but not insulin in the blood plasma, and the levels of met-enkephalin in the adrenal glands, but decreased the met-enkephalin contents in the striatum. The injection of DSIP (0.1 mg/kg, i/p) blocked partly the elevation of corticosterone only. The authors propose, that stress-protective action of DSIP is realized with the involvements of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal gland system.     

Basis for the use of Pierre's method for the determination of ACTH in human blood plasma]

Adrenal glands of rats were immersed in Ringer-Lock solution (used as control), other rat adrenal glands were immersed in human blood plasma. The amount of corticosterone in the extracts received was estimated after two hours of incubation. The activity of adrenocorticotropic function of the pituitary gland of the patients examined was judged by the difference in the corticosterone indices in these extracts. ACTH (1.5 and 10 mkg) was added to the plasma to determine the sensitivity of this technique. Regular and significant increase in corticosterone was revealed. Modified Pierre's technique can be applied for ACTH determination in man.     

Immunoreactivity of hypothalamic orexin neurons and expression level of preproorexin gene in them after lipopolysaccharide injection

Hypothalamic orexin neurons are involved in the regulation of many physiological functions. The immunoreactivity of these neurons is shown to be altered after LPS injection. This phenomenon is characterized by definite time-space pattern and depends on dose of antigen applied. The expression level ofpreproorexin gene in rat hypothalamus was investigated in 2, 4 and 6 hours after injection of 25 and 500 mkg/kg b. w. LPS. Both injections of higher and lower doses resulted in the increase of expression level of preproorexin gene after 2 hours that could suggest an enhancement of orexin synthesis in neurons. There were no significant changes in 4 and 6 hours after injection. The comparative analysis of the data obtained earlier with immunohistochemistry, and the data shown in the present study suggest the mechanisms of orexin neurons reaction to injection of LPS in different doses, i. e. the more considerable prevalence of orexin utilization over its synthesis in hypothalamic cells after injection of subseptic (500 mkg/kg) dose of LPS.     

An ACTH-Like Peptide Immunocortin: Effect on the Activity of Cells from the Rat Adrenal Cortex

The effect of immunocortin, an ACTH-like decapeptide VKKPGSSVKV corresponding to the 11–20 sequence of the variable part of the human IgG1 heavy chain on the content of 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (CS) in rat adrenal glands and blood serum in vivo was studied. An intramuscular injection of immunocortin at a dose of 10 g/kg was found in an hour to induce a twofold decrease in CS content in the adrenal glands and a 1.8-fold increase in the blood serum CS content. At the same time, an immunocortin dose of 100 g/kg exerted practically no effect on the CS content and its dose of 1000 g/kg increased the CS content both in adrenal glands and in blood serum by 1.6 and 2.2 times, respectively. Four hours after the injection of any of the three doses of immunocortin, the CS content in adrenal glands did not differ from the control value, and after 24 h the content decreased threefold. Immunocortin was shown to be bound by the ACTH receptors in the membranes of the rat adrenal cortex with a high affinity and specificity (inhibiting the specific binding of ¹²⁵I-labeled ACTH-(11–24) peptide with K _i of 1.2 nM).     

Effects of dermorphin on processes of cell division in the corneal and tongue epithelium of white rats]

The character of dermorphin influence on cell division in corneal and tongue epithelium of white rats was studied by the method of radioautography with 3H-thymidine. The effect of dermorphin was distinct from the effect of delta-receptors ligands on the cell division processes in corneal and tongue epithelium of experimental animals. The injection of dermorphin in dose 10 micrograms/kg compressed the DNA-synthesis in 4 and 24 hours since the moment of administration. The mitotic index increased in 4 hours and decreased in 24 hours.     

Adrenocorticotropic hormone does not induce desensitization in human adrenal cells during fetal life

We investigated whether human fetal adrenal cells pretreated with or continuously exposed to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) would develop refractoriness of the steroidogenic response. Fetal adrenal glands from fetuses of 18-24 wk gestation, were studied. Fetal zone cells were pretreated with increasing doses of ACTH (0-10(-6) M) for 24 h and then restimulated with a single dose of ACTH (10(-6) M) for an additional 24 h. Regardless of the dose of ACTH in the first incubation, the cells responded to the second stimulation with a 2- to 6-fold increase in dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) production. When human fetal adrenal cells were incubated in the continuous presence of 10(-8) M ACTH for 72 h, DHAS production was increased compared to that of the untreated cultures (5-fold at 24 h and 50-fold at 72 h), and the cells remained responsive during the entire experimental period. In contrast, human adult adrenal cells showed a significant decrease of the steroidogenic response after 48 h of ACTH treatment. Twenty-four hours of incubation with increasing doses of ACTH also increased the basal steroidogenic capacity of the fetal adrenal cells. One of the steroidogenic enzymatic steps stimulated by ACTH pretreatment was that of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase, since conversion of pregnenolone and 17 alpha-hydroxypregnenolone to DHAS was increased in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that human fetal adrenal cells, in contrast to those of the adult, do not become desensitized to ACTH.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effect of ergotoxin on gastric motility in the skate, frog and turtle

DG-erotoxine (SPOFA)--200 mg/kh b. w. has no effect to the motor activity in scates. The dose of 500 mkg/kh produces 20-30 min. after injection the excitation of contraction followed by the inhibition. In frogs the dose of 25 mkg/kg produces the excitation of stomach contractions. The dose of 100 mkg/kg initially stimulates motor activity, later on--inhibits it. In the tortoise the dose of 25 mkg/kg increases the contraction of the stomach the dose of 2000 mkg/kg inhibits it.     

Sex differences in the cholinergic status of white rats]

Female rats injected with organophosphate inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase chlorophose at doses of 10 mg/kg and 360 mg/kg showed less considerable decrease in blood acetylcholinesterase activity than did male animals. Females compared with males also demonstrated less expressed clinical symptoms of poisoning (salivation, convulsion) after injection of chlorophose at dose of 360 mg/kg. The value of LD50 in female rats was 860 mg/kg, whereas the comparable value in male animals was 700 mg/kg. Following the injection of atropine at doses of 0.1, 0.3, 0.6 mg/100 g female rats showed 2-3 fold increases in basal adrenal and plasma corticosterone levels, but significant decreases in stress-induced corticosterone levels. As for males, the basal and stress-induced values of corticosterone were not significantly affected by atropine administration. These results suggest that functional reserves of cholinergic system and responsiveness of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to cholinergic influence are greater in females than in males. It is concluded that cholinergic status is significantly higher in female rats than in male ones.     

Effects of ethanol on the concentration of neuropeptides, ACTH and corticosterone during immobilization stress

It was shown, that stress increased the level of ACTH, beta-endorphin and corticosterone in the blood plasma of the rat. Injection of ethanol (1 g/kg) decreased the level of ACTH, but increased the levels of beta-endorphin in the rat subjected to immobilization stress. The immobilization lowered the levels of met-enkephalin in the striatum and medulla oblongata, but increased the content of neuropeptide in the adrenal glands. The concentration of leu-enkephalin and DSIP remained unchanged following the stress. Ethanol reversed the action of immobilization on the level of met-enkephalin in the striatum, but increased the content of DSIP in the thalamus. These results indicate that ethanol modified the activity of pituitary-adrenal-axis during stress and probably the stress-protective action of ethanol partly performed with the involvement of DSIP.     

Functional state of the adrenal cortex in experimental animals administered leyorin and its sodium salt perorally]

The effect of oral levorin and its sodium salt on the function of the adrenal cortex was studied experimentally on albino rats. The functional activity of the adrenal cortex was tested by the content of corticosterone in the peripheral blood determined fluorometrically. The results showed that levorin in a dose of 300 000 Unit/kg and its sodium salt in doses of 300 000 and 1 200 000 Units/kg used orally induced at definite periods of their administration a decrease in the corticosterone blood levels. At the same time a decrease in the weight coefficients of the thymus and prostate was observed.     

Comparative effect of opioid receptor ligands on cell division in the epithelium of the tongue in white rats

Beta-endorphin, leu-enkephalin, dalargin and naloxone influences on cell division have been studied in tongue epithelium of white rats. The preparations were administered at a dose of 0.1 ml per 100 g body weight as a 2.10(-9) M solution. Cell division was studied 24 hours after administration. beta-endorphin, leu-enkephalin, dalargin and naloxone caused a 1.5-1.7-fold increase in the number of DNA-synthesizing nuclei, which was accompanied by an adequate rise in mitotic index in experiments with dalargin.     

Interaction of arginine vasopressin and corticotropin releasing factor demonstrated with an improved bioassay

We developed an improved in vivo bioassay for corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) by modifying the injection schedule in the standard chlorpromazine-morphine-pentobarbital assay procedure. A combined injection of chlorpromazine and morphine followed 75 min later by injection of pentobarbital produced low basal levels of corticosterone and rendered the animals highly sensitive to synthetic CRF but insensitive to the stress of ether or histamine. The lowest dose of CRF that significantly elevated plasma corticosterone levels was 0.01 micrograms/kg. Using this assay, we studied CRF-arginine vasopressin (AVP) interactions at doses that were expected to raise systemic peptide concentrations to levels measured in hypophysial portal blood. The threshold for a significant corticosterone response was found to be at least 250-fold lower for CRF-41 than for AVP. The order in which CRF and AVP are injected was also found to be important, potentiation being greater if CRF was given first. In addition, rats deprived of water for 24 hr were more sensitive to CRF than normally hydrated animals.     

Effect of carrageenan on non-specific resistance to LPS-induced endotoxemia in mice

The study showed that kappa/lamda-carrageenan increase non-specific resistance to impact of Escherichia coli lypopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced endotoxinemia in mice. Carrageenan was administered intragastrically in dose 100 mg/kg/day during 5 days followed by intraperitoneal injection of LPS in dose 1 mg/kg. Carrageenan hampered the involution of thymus, hypertrophy of adrenal glands, the changes on level of thyroid hormones and corticosterone in serum, the activation of glycogenolysis, glycolysis, and peroxidation of lipids in liver.     

Mechanism of action of tetracycline on the functional state of the adrenal cortex]

The mechanism of stimulation of the adrenal cortex function by tetracycline was studied on albino rats. It was shown that tetracycline administered orally in a dose of 200 mg/kg regularly induced an increase in the corticosterone levels in the peripheral blood of the animals by the 15th day of the antibiotic use. It was shown on the animals with an experimentally suppressed function of the hypophysis by prolonged administration of hydrocortisone acetate that tetracycline primarily stimulated the hypophysis function resulting in production and excretion of increased amounts of the adrenocorticotropic hormone into the blood. The hormone increased the production of corticosterone in the adrenal glands which resulted in its higher levels in the peripheral blood.     

Influence of bombesin, CCK, secretin and CRF on corticosterone concentration in the rat

The ingestion of food increases adrenoglucocorticoid secretion in humans and rats and influences the circadian periodicity of ACTH and corticosterone in rats fed on restricted schedules. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the brain-gut polypeptides CCK33 (10 U/kg), bombesin (10 micrograms/kg) and secretin (10 U/kg) on corticosterone concentrations in fed rats. The responses were compared to that of CRF (1 micrograms/kg). All experiments were begun at 10 a.m., 3 hours after the lights came on. The rats were given single, IP injections of peptide or vehicle (1 ml/kg) then sacrificed 0, 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes later. Corticosterone was measured fluorometrically. The control injection (vehicle) alone caused a mild stress response with corticosterone levels peaking between 10 and 15 minutes after the injection then returning to baseline. Both CCK33 and bombesin significantly increased corticosterone to approximately 2.5-fold above the control level in a fashion similar to that of CRF. In all three instances corticosterone levels peaked at 30 minutes post-injection. Secretin had no effect on corticosterone secretion. None of the peptides tested stimulated in vitro corticosterone output from isolated adrenal cells. These findings indicate that both CCK and bombesin cause pituitary-adrenal activation which may be related to the response of this system to food ingestion.     

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) produces analgesia in a thermal injury model independent of its effect on systemic beta-endorphin and corticosterone

To determine separately the effect of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) on analgesia and on inflammation, rats were assigned to receive CRH 60 microg/kg, CRH 300 microg/kg, morphine 4 mg/kg, or normal saline intravenously 15 min before a burn injury. Two mesh chambers that allowed collection of fluid had been previously implanted subdermally in each rat. The skin overlying the right chamber was subject to thermal injury. The left chamber served as a control. We assessed systemic analgesia, and levels of beta-endorphin and corticosterone in plasma and in chamber fluid before, 1, 4 and 24 h after drug administration. The CRH groups exhibited longer tail flick latencies than the control group (P=0.0001) although the increase in latency was of smaller magnitude than in the morphine group. We did not observe a CRH dose response for analgesia. Plasma corticosterone levels were higher in the CRH 300 microg/kg group than in the normal saline group at 4 h (P=0.03). Levels of beta-endorphin in plasma as well as the levels of corticosterone and beta-endorphin in chambers were similar in the CRH 300 microg/kg group and in the normal saline group (all P values>0.1). Thus, systemically administered CRH produces analgesia in thermal injury independent of its effect on these two markers of local or systemic inflammation.     

Effect of interleukin-1 on adrenal function in mice

The influence of macrophage secretion product on the functional activity of the adrenal glands has been studied in mice. It has been shown that intravenously injected interleukin-1 caused dose-dependent increase in corticosterone content in the blood plasma. The hormonal response of the adrenal glands to interleukin-1 injection was abolished by the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis. The results obtained indicate that interleukin-1 stimulates the functional activity of the adrenal glands, with the effect mediated by prostaglandins.     

Circadian variations and extraadrenal effect of ACTH on insulinemia in rabbit.

The present experiment was designed to study the action of ACTH1-24 on insulin secretion during the circadian cycle in normal rabbits and to provide evidence that ACTH1-24 has an extra-adrenal effect on this secretion. In normal rabbits intravenous administration of three doses of ACTH1-24 (1, 10, 100 micrograms/kg) at 10 a. m. increased plasma insulin levels. Hyperglycemia only occurred with doses of 10 and 100 micrograms/kg. A maximum insulin response was already obtained at 1 micrograms/kg. The same experiment performed at 12 p. m. also induced hyperinsulinemia which was only noted at 10 and 100 micrograms/kg; hyperglycemia was only observed after stimulation by the highest dose (100 micrograms/kg). ACTH was therefore more effective during the day; however, at 12 p. m. plasma insulin levels were the highest, but only with the maximum dose of ACTH (100 micrograms/kg). The effect of ACTH1-24 was evaluated throughout the day on normal and adrenalectomized rabbits. In normal animals injection of ACTH1-24 increased plasma glucose and insulin levels both together. In the contrary, in rabbits deprived of adrenal glands, ACTH1-24 induced high insulinemia along with hypoglycemia. We could, therefore, reasonably conclude that ACTH stimulates directly the pancreatic secretion of insulin.