NEUROHYPOPHYSIAL HORMONES AND RELEASE OF GONADOTROPHINS

1959 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. MARTINI ◽  
L. MIRA ◽  
A. PECILE ◽  
S. SAITO

SUMMARY The gonadotrophin-releasing activity of hypothalamo-neurohypophysial hormones has been investigated in normal female rabbits. Pooled urine, obtained before and after intravenous injection of different posterior pituitary preparations (Pitressin, Pitocin, lysine-vasopressin and synthetic oxytocin), was extracted by the kaolin-acetone method and assayed by the mouse uterus test. All the posterior pituitary preparations used induced a significant rise in the release of gonadotrophins. The experiments suggest that posterior pituitary polypeptides may play a role in the physiological regulation of gonadotrophin release.

1972 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. CAVAGNINI ◽  
M. PERACCHI ◽  
G. SCOTTI ◽  
U. RAGGI ◽  
A. E. PONTIROLI ◽  
...  

SUMMARY The effect of both oral and intravenous administration of l-DOPA on growth hormone (GH) secretion was studied in a group of normal volunteers: a significant rise of serum GH levels was observed in both cases. Growth hormone release in response to insulin hypoglycaemia and to arginine infusion was evaluated in a group of Parkinsonian patients before and after 25 days' treatment with l-DOPA plus a DOPA-decarboxylase inhibitor. In addition, GH response to the above stimuli was studied in a group of patients who had been under treatment for more than 6 months with l-DOPA alone. In untreated Parkinsonian patients, GH response to insulin hypoglycaemia was at the lower limit of normal range while arginine-induced GH release was significantly reduced. Treatment with l-DOPA did not increase GH responses. Some possible interpretations of the results are discussed. The findings support the possibility that dopamine plays a role in the physiological regulation of GH secretion, as in the case of luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin release.


1965 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. van der Wal ◽  
T. Wiegman ◽  
J. F. Janssen ◽  
A. Delver ◽  
D. de Wied

ABSTRACT The reactivity of the hypothalamico-pituitary-adrenal axis was determined in 48 children, not suffering from any endocrine disorder. The free cortisol (F)- and corticosterone (B) content of plasma was determined in response to ACTH (clinical corticotrophin; A1 peptide), a corticotrophin releaser (lysine vasopressin) and a non specific stimulus (bacterial polysaccharide) as compared to saline. The two ACTH-preparations infused over one hour in a dose of 5 IU per child elicited a marked increase in both F and B. Lysine vasopressin in a dose of 0.5 IU per year of age similarly infused, exhibited a distinct linear increase in the two circulating cortical steroids, although the effect of this octapeptide was smaller than that of the two ACTH-preparations. Blood pressure was also measured during the infusion with vasopressin or saline. The systolic blood pressure was not significantly affected by vasopressin, but a significant rise in diastolic blood pressure was found. No correlation between the increase in diastolic blood pressure and in blood corticoids in response to vasopressin, was found. The intravenous administration of a relatively small amount of pyrifer caused a moderate increase in circulating F which was significant only at 4 and 6 hours after the injection of the pyrogen. The B content did not increase significantly above that of saline treated control children, presumably because of the relatively weak corticotrophic activity of the pyrogen under these conditions. A positive linear relation between body temperature and time was found. No correlation between increase in body temperature and increase in circulating F could be demonstrated.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110096
Author(s):  
Vikas Menon ◽  
Sujita Kumar Kar ◽  
Ramdas Ransing ◽  
Ginni Sharma ◽  
Jigyansa Ipsita Pattnaik ◽  
...  

Objective: Little is known about changes in quality of media reporting of suicide in the community following a celebrity suicide. Our objective was to compare trends in quality of media reporting of suicide, before and after the suicide of an Indian entertainment celebrity, against the World Health Organization suicide reporting guidelines. Method: Online news portals of English and local language newspapers, as well as television channels, were searched to identify relevant suicide-related news articles. Comparison of reporting characteristics before and after the celebrity suicide was performed using chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 3867 eligible news reports were retrieved. There was a significant increase in harmful reporting characteristics, such as reporting the name, age and gender of the deceased ( p < 0.001 for all comparisons), mentioning the location ( p < 0.001) and reason for suicide ( p = 0.04) and including photos of the deceased ( p = 0.002) following the celebrity suicide. Helpful reporting practices were less affected; there was a significant rise in inclusion of expert opinion ( p = 0.04) and mention of suicide-related warning signs ( p = 0.02). Conclusion: Following a celebrity suicide, significant changes in the quality of media reporting of suicide were noted with an increase in several potentially harmful reporting characteristics.


2002 ◽  
Vol 103 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans BARLE ◽  
Anna JANUSZKIEWICZ ◽  
Lars HÅLLSTRÖM ◽  
Pia ESSÉN ◽  
Margaret A. MCNURLAN ◽  
...  

In order to investigate the immediate (i.e. within 3h) response of albumin synthesis to the administration of endotoxin, as a model of a moderate and well controlled catabolic insult, two measurements employing L-[2H5]phenylalanine were performed in 16 volunteers. One group (n = 8) received an intravenous injection of endotoxin (4ng/kg; lot EC-6) immediately after the first measurement of albumin synthesis, whereas the other group received saline. A second measurement was initiated 1h later. In the endotoxin group, the fractional synthesis rate of albumin was 6.9±0.6%/day (mean±S.D.) in the first measurement. In the second measurement, a significant increase was observed (9.6±1.2%/day; P<0.001). The corresponding values in the control group were were 6.6±0.6%/day and 7.0±0.6%/day respectively (not significant compared with first measurement and P<0.001 compared with the second measurement in the endotoxin group). The absolute synthesis rates of albumin were 148±35 and 201±49mg·kg-1·day-1 before and after endotoxin (P<0.01). In the control group, the corresponding values were 131±21 and 132±20mg·kg-1·day-1 (not significant compared with the first measurement and P<0.01 compared with the second measurement in the endotoxin group). In conclusion, these results indicate that albumin synthesis increases in the very early phase after a catabolic insult, as represented by the administration of endotoxin.


1973 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Pickup ◽  
C. I. Johnston ◽  
S. Nakamura ◽  
L. O. Uttenthal ◽  
D. B. Hope

Posterior pituitary lobes from young pigs were fractionated by differential and sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation. The distributions of oxytocin and [8-lysine]-vasopressin were measured by bioassay and the distributions of neurophysin-I and -II by radioimmunoassays specific for each of these two proteins. Most of the hormone and neurophysin applied to the density gradient was localized in particles with the density expected of neurosecretory granules. However, the neurosecretory granules were separated into two bands (D and E). A close statistical correlation between the distributions of [8-lysine]-vasopressin and neurophysin-I, and of oxytocin and neurophysin-II on the gradients, suggested that in vivo porcine neurophysin-I binds [8-lysine]-vasopressin within one population of granules and porcine neurophysin-II binds oxytocin within another type of granule. However, there was no significant separation of oxytocin and vasopressin in fractions D and E. The molar ratios of hormones and neurophysins indicated that there was insufficient of either neurophysin to bind the [8-lysine]-vasopressin in the granule fractions or in the whole gland. Polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis showed that only bands corresponding in mobility to porcine neurophysins-I, -II and -III were present in large amounts in the whole gland and in the granule fractions. The component with the mobility of neurophysin-III was, however, relatively enriched in whole young glands and granule fractions compared with adult gland extracts. It is suggested that the vasopressin that cannot be assigned to neurophysin-I may occur in (a) vesicles containing vasopressin but no neurophysin, (b) vesicles containing vasopressin and a protein that cannot be quantified by the radioimmunoassays used, such as porcine neurophysin-III, or (c) normal vasopressin–neurophysin granules which have accumulated extra vasopressin. Band E of the gradient was rich in adenosine triphosphatase activity, whereas band D possessed very little of this enzyme.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 2675-2690 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. D. Al-Chaer ◽  
N. B. Lawand ◽  
K. N. Westlund ◽  
W. D. Willis

1. The purpose of this study was to investigate a proposed role for the postsynaptic dorsal column (PSDC) pathway in mediating visceral nociceptive input into the dorsal column (DC) nuclei. 2. In one group of animals, the hypogastric nerves were sectioned, thereby restricting colorectal input into the cord to pelvic afferent pathways known to coverage on lower lumbar and sacral segments. Extracellular recording were made from 41 nucleus gracilis (NG) cells that responded to colorectal distension (CRD). Results reported are from 15 NG cells that were tested before and after the administration of morphine into the sacral cord by microdialysis. 3. The responses of 11 NG cells to CRD were dramatically reduced by morphine infused into the sacral cord through a microdialysis fiber. This reduction was reversed by an intravenous injection of naloxone. Microdialysis administration of 6-cyano-7-nitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX) or a lesion of the DC also abolished the responses of the NG cells to CRD. 4. Four NG cells that responded to CRD showed an increase in their background activity approximately 25 min after an injection of mustard oil (MO). This increase in activity was counteracted by morphine or by a lesion of the DC. 5. In a second group of animals, recordings were made from 28 PSDC cells in the L0-S1 segments of the cord. These units were antidromically activated by stimulation of the upper cervical fasciculus gracilis. The projections of five PSDC neurons into the NG were traced with the use of antidromic mapping. Results are reported for the responses of 12 PSDC cells to CRD and to cutaneous stimuli before and after morphine administration into the sacral cord by microdialysis. 6. Morphine given spinally reduced the responses of 12 PSDC cells to CRD. This reduction was reversed by an intravenous injection of naloxone. CNQX administered spinally also abolished the responses to CRD of the PSDC cells tested. 7. Four other PSDC cells were studied before and after an injection of MO into the colon. Their background activity started to increase within 25 min after the injection. Morphine suppressed this increase in background activity and this effect of morphine was reversed by naloxone. 8. The responses of NG cells to cutaneous stimuli were not significantly affected by morphine in the dose used. On the other hand, morphine significantly reduced the responses of PSDC cells to noxious cutaneous stimuli although this effect was not as dramatic as that on responses to visceral stimuli. 9. From the results of the studies described in this and the companion paper, we conclude that there is an important pelvic visceral nociceptive pathway involving PSDC neurons that synapse in the NG. The NG in turn activates neurons in the ventral posterolateral (VPL) nucleus of the thalamus. We presume that activation of VPL neurons by noxious visceral stimulation contributes to visceral pain sensation and thus that pelvic visceral pain depends largely on activity in the DC-medial lemniscus system.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (37) ◽  
pp. 15961-15966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Y. S. Chu ◽  
Leo T. O. Lee ◽  
C. H. Lai ◽  
H. Vaudry ◽  
Y. S. Chan ◽  
...  

Hypothalamic magnocellular neurons express either one of the neurohypophysial hormones, vasopressin or oxytocin, along with different neuropeptides or neuromodulators. Axonal terminals of these neurons are generally accepted to release solely the two hormones but not others into the circulation. Here, we show that secretin, originally isolated from upper intestinal mucosal extract, is present throughout the hypothalamo–neurohypophysial axis and that it is released from the posterior pituitary under plasma hyperosmolality conditions. In the hypothalamus, it stimulates vasopressin expression and release. Considering these findings together with our previous findings that show a direct effect of secretin on renal water reabsorption, we propose here that secretin works at multiple levels in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and kidney to regulate water homeostasis. Findings presented here challenge previous understanding regarding the neurohypophysis and could provide new concepts in treating disorders related to osmoregulation.


1971 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. STEWART

SUMMARY The possibility of genetic variation in the amino acid composition of neurohypophysial hormones of the mouse was investigated. Acetic acid extracts from acetone-dried neurohypophyses from six strains of mice were subjected to thin-layer chromatography. Extracts from two strains were tested for natriferic potency on a toad bladder preparation. Extracts from three strains of mice were purified on a carboxymethylcellulose column, and the amino acid composition determined by paper electrophoresis at pH 2. All six strains of mice were found to elaborate an oxytocic principle with the chromatographic properties of oxytocin. All results were compatible with the view that five of the strains elaborate the usual mammalian vasopressin, [8-arginine]-vasopressin. However, chromatography, natriferic assays and analyses of amino acid composition indicated that the Peru strain of mice elaborated [8-lysine]-vasopressin. These mice would be the first mammals outside the Suina which possess this hormone, and the difference between the strains of mice is almost certainly genetic in origin. The significance of genetic variation within a species in the structure of a hormone is discussed in terms of its physiological and evolutionary consequences.


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