Regulation of ACTH secretory pathways in cultured pituitary cells

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (5) ◽  
pp. C793-C798 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schwartz ◽  
S. Gibson ◽  
A. White
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Receptor Complex ◽  
Response Mechanism ◽  
Acth Secretion ◽  
Secretory Pathways ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Cells ◽  
Acth Release

Although chloroquine, an agent that disrupts regulated protein secretion, has previously been shown to decrease the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretory response to adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate or corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in AtT-20 and rat anterior pituitary cells, respectively, it has no effect on the response to vasopressin. The present study extended experiments with chloroquine to cultured sheep anterior pituitary cells, which have a greater maximum response to vasopressin. Chloroquine (200 microM) had no effect on basal ACTH secretion or on stimulation by vasopressin. In contrast to the rat, the net response to CRF was tripled by chloroquine in ovine cells. The effect of chloroquine on the response to CRF was more effective by coexposure of cells to CRF and chloroquine than by pretreatment with chloroquine. Monensin or vinblastine did not increase the ACTH response to CRF. The results indicate ACTH release in response to vasopressin is chloroquine insensitive in this way, can be dissociated from the mechanism that responds to CRF, and would be consistent with the CRF response mechanism involving pathways that can alter the secretory pool of ACTH. When chloroquine acts to increase the response to CRF, it is likely not to act by stabilizing the CRF-receptor complex.

Hypothalamic peptide regulation of ACTH secretion from sheep pituitary

1993 ◽  
Vol 265 (4) ◽  
pp. R840-R845 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Kemppainen ◽  
T. P. Clark ◽  
J. L. Sartin ◽  
C. A. Zerbe
Keyword(s):  
Angiotensin Ii ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Acth Secretion ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Acth Release

The relative abilities of the hypothalamic peptides corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), arginine vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT), and angiotensin II (ANG II) to stimulate adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from cultured sheep anterior pituitary cells were studied. Incubation of cells with CRF, AVP, and OT, but not ANG II, was associated with increased ACTH secretion. CRF and AVP were equally effective in stimulating ACTH release at 0.1 nM, but larger doses of each resulted in distinctly different ACTH secretory patterns. The minimally effective dose of OT was 10 nM; greater doses of this peptide resulted in ACTH secretory responses similar to those measured after addition of AVP. Cotreatment with ANG II did not affect the ACTH-secretory response to CRF, AVP, or OT. These data confirm that AVP is a potent stimulus for ACTH secretion from sheep anterior pituitary in vitro and also show that CRF is effective in low concentrations in releasing ACTH. In contrast, the data do not support a regulatory role for ANG II in stimulating ACTH release directly from sheep corticotroph cells.

Blockage of K+ channels reverses the inhibitory action of atriopeptin on secretagogue-stimulated ACTH release by perifused isolated rat anterior pituitary cells

1990 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. A. Antoni ◽  
G. Dayanithi
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Inhibitory Action ◽  
Calcium Ionophore ◽  
Delayed Rectifier ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Acth Secretion ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Cells ◽  
Isolated Rat ◽  
Acth Release

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to investigate how atriopeptin inhibits secretagogue-stimulated ACTH secretion in vitro. Perifused isolated rat anterior pituitary cells were used throughout; the ACTH content of the perifusate was measured by radioimmunoassy. In the presence of a constant (0·05 nmol/l) concentration of 41-residue corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), arginine vasopressin (AVP; 0·05–50 nmol/l) stimulated ACTH secretion in a concentration-dependent manner, the combination of 0·05 nmol CRF/l and 0·5 nmol AVP/l (CRF/AVP) stimulated ACTH release to six- to eightfold above baseline. The effect of CRF/AVP was not modified by tetrodotoxin, but was abolished by CoCl2 and reduced to about 70% of the control stimulus by nifedipine. Application of 103–126 residue atriopeptin for 10 min before and 2·5 min during the CRF/AVP stimulus strongly suppressed the evoked release of ACTH, the maximal inhibition was 75–90% at 10 nmol atriopeptin/l. The calcium ionophore ionomycin (200 nmol/l) reversed the effect of atriopeptin while it had no secretagogue activity of its own, and did not enhance the response to CRF/AVP. A variety of blockers of K+ channels, 4-amino pyridine, tetraethylammonium, apamine, quinine, but not tolbutamide, effectively antagonized the inhibitory action of atriopeptin (10 nmol/l). None of these drugs altered ACTH release evoked by CRF/AVP. In concentration–response experiments, the half effective concentration of 4-aminopyridine and tetraethyl-ammonium were around 1 mmol/l and 10 nmol/l for apamine. Finally, tetraethylammonium and apamine also antagonized the inhibition of CRF/AVP-evoked ACTH release by 8-Br-cGMP. These data suggest that (1) at least two types of K+ channels, a delayed rectifier and the apamine-sensitive Ca2+-activated channel, are functionally important in pituitary corticotroph cells; (2) atriopeptin inhibits CRF/AVP-stimulated ACTH secretion by hyperpolarizing the plasma membrane and thus reducing the uptake of Ca2+ into the cells; (3) cGMP is the intracellular mediator of the action of atriopeptin on corticotroph cells. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 183–191

scholarly journals Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Activates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis through a Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor-Dependent Mechanism

Endocrinology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 145 (11) ◽  
pp. 5202-5209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean M. Smith ◽  
Joan M. Vaughan ◽  
Cynthia J. Donaldson ◽  
Jean Rivier ◽  
Chien Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Corticotropin Releasing Factor ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Cells ◽  
Circulating Levels ◽  
Dependent Mechanism ◽  
Acth Release

Abstract Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) is a highly expressed hypothalamic transcript that is concentrated in areas associated with the stress response. There is evidence for a role of CART in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, it is not clear whether CART regulates activity of the HPA axis by directly stimulating ACTH release from pituitary corticotropes or through interaction with hypothalamic factors. To address this issue, the effects of central and peripheral administration of CART on the HPA axis were compared. Central administration of CART(55–102) (1 μg) significantly increased circulating levels of ACTH (481 ± 122 vs. 93 ± 14 pg/ml; CART vs. vehicle) and corticosterone (460 ± 29 vs. 179 ± 62 ng/ml; CART vs. vehicle). In contrast, iv injection of CART(55–102) (0.09-9.0 nmol/kg) did not significantly affect circulating levels of ACTH or corticosterone. The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonist Astressin B was used to determine whether CART(55–102) elicits ACTH secretion via a CRF receptor-dependent mechanism. Injection of Astressin B (50 μg/kg, iv) inhibited CART(55–102)-induced ACTH and corticosterone responses. The effects of CART(55–102) on CRF and arginine vasopressin (AVP) expression were also examined in static hypothalamic explants. RT-PCR analysis revealed a significant up-regulation of CRF and AVP mRNA levels after CART(55–102) (10 nm and 1 μm) treatment. Last, the effects of CART(55–102) on CRF- and AVP-mediated ACTH release was investigated in dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. Incubation of CART(55–102) (10–100 nm) did not significantly affect ACTH release from anterior pituitary cells. Findings from the present study suggest that CART regulates activity of the HPA axis through a CRF-dependent central mechanism and not by means of direct interaction with pituitary corticotropes.

Prokaryotic adenylate cyclase toxin stimulates anterior pituitary cells in culture

1986 ◽  
Vol 251 (2) ◽  
pp. E164-E171
Author(s):  
M. J. Cronin ◽  
W. S. Evans ◽  
A. D. Rogol ◽  
A. A. Weiss ◽  
M. O. Thorner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adenylate Cyclase ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Hormone Release ◽  
Acth Secretion ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Cells ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Camp Levels ◽  
Kinetics Of

Bordetella pertussis synthesizes a variety of virulence factors including a calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase (AC) toxin. Treatment of anterior pituitary cells with this AC toxin resulted in an increase in cellular cAMP levels that was associated with accelerated exocytosis of growth hormone (GH), prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). The kinetics of release of these hormones, however, were markedly different; GH and prolactin were rapidly released, while LH and ACTH secretion was more gradually elevated. Neither dopamine agonists nor somatostatin changed the ability of AC toxin to generate cAMP (up to 2 h). Low concentrations of AC toxin amplified the secretory response to hypophysiotrophic hormones. We conclude that bacterial AC toxin can rapidly elevate cAMP levels in anterior pituitary cells and that it is this response that explains the subsequent acceleration of hormone release.

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