Advent and Recent Advances in Research on the Role of Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-activating Polypeptide (PACAP) in the Regulation of Gonadotropic Hormone Secretion of Female Rats

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Köves ◽  
Orsolya Kántor ◽  
András Lakatos ◽  
Enikő Szabó ◽  
Eszter Kirilly ◽  
...  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rubina Marzagalli ◽  
Soraya Scuderi ◽  
Filippo Drago ◽  
James A. Waschek ◽  
Alessandro Castorina

Enduring diabetes increases the probability of developing secondary damage to numerous systems, and these complications represent a cause of morbidity and mortality. Establishing the causes of diabetes remains the key step to eradicate the disease, but prevention as well as finding therapies to ameliorate some of the major diabetic complications is an equally important step to increase life expectancy and quality for the millions of individuals already affected by the disease or who are likely to develop it before cures become routinely available. In this review, we will firstly summarize some of the major complications of diabetes, including endothelial and pancreatic islets dysfunction, retinopathy, and nephropathy, and then discuss the emerging roles exerted by the neuropeptide pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) to counteract these ranges of pathologies that are precipitated by the prolonged hyperglycemic state. Finally, we will describe the main signalling routes activated by the peptide and propose possible future directions to focus on developing more effective peptide-based therapies to treat the major complications associated with longstanding diabetes.


1996 ◽  
Vol 149 (2) ◽  
pp. 287-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
C S Kovacs ◽  
C L Chik ◽  
B Li ◽  
E Karpinski ◽  
A K Ho

Abstract Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) share 68% homology and function as neurotransmitters or neuroendocrine factors. Although VIP immunoreactivity has been detected in bone cells, the presence of PACAP or PACAP receptors in bone has not been determined. In this study, we investigated the role of PACAP and VIP in regulating cAMP accumulation in the UMR 106 osteoblast-like tumor cell line. PACAP 27 (10−9 to 3 × 10−7 m), PACAP 38 (10−9 to 3 × 10−7 m) and VIP (10−8 to 10−6 m) stimulated cAMP accumulation up to eightfold. PACAP 27 was slightly more potent than PACAP 38, and both were tenfold more potent than VIP. Both PACAP- and VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation were potentiated by 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, an activator of protein kinase C. Two PACAP antagonists, PACAP 6–27 (3 × 10−6 m) and PACAP 6–38 (3 × 10−6 m), blocked PACAP- and VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Two VIP antagonists ([Lys1,Pro2,5,Arg3,4,Tyr6]-VIP, and 4 Cl-d-Phe6,Leu17]-VIP) did not reduce the PACAP-or VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Pretreatment with PACAP 27, PACAP 38 or VIP equally blocked PACAP- and VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation. These results suggest that PACAP is a more potent stimulator of cAMP accumulation than VIP in UMR 106 cells. PACAP and VIP may share a role in the paracrine or neuroendocrine regulation of bone metabolism. Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 149, 287–295


2000 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Montero ◽  
L Yon ◽  
S Kikuyama ◽  
S Dufour ◽  
H Vaudry

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) belong to the same superfamily of regulatory neuropeptides and have both been characterized on the basis of their hypophysiotropic activities. This review describes the molecular evolution of the GHRH/PACAP gene family from urochordates to mammals and presents the hypothesis that the respective roles of GHRH and PACAP in the control of GH secretion are totally inverted in phylogenetically distant groups of vertebrates. In mammals, GHRH and PACAP originate from distinct precursors whereas, in all submammalian taxa investigated so far, including birds, amphibians and fish, a single precursor encompasses a GHRH-like peptide and PACAP. In mammals, GHRH-containing neurons are confined to the infundibular and dorsomedial nuclei of the hypothalamus while PACAP-producing neurons are widely distributed in hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic areas. In fish, both GHRH- and PACAP-immunoreactive neurons are restricted to the diencephalon and directly innervate the adenohypophysis. In mammals and birds, GHRH plays a predominant role in the control of GH secretion. In amphibians, both GHRH and PACAP are potent stimulators of GH release. In fish, PACAP strongly activates GH release whereas GHRH has little or no effect on GH secretion. The GHRH/PACAP family of peptides thus provides a unique model in which to investigate the structural and functional facets of evolution.


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