Functional development of the oxytocin release mechanism and its role in the initiation of parturition in the rat

1985 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Higuchi ◽  
K. Uchide ◽  
K. Honda ◽  
H. Negoro
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Release Mechanism ◽  
Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Diethyl Dithiocarbamate ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Noradrenaline Synthesis ◽  
Oxytocin Release ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Osmotic Stimuli

ABSTRACT Developmental changes in levels of oxytocin in the blood and the pituitary gland and in oxytocin responses to oxytocin-releasing stimuli were investigated in the rat from the fetus close to term to the 40-day-old young adult. The oxytocin content of the pituitary gland rose gradually from fetuses of 21 days of gestation to 40-day-old rats. Pituitary oxytocin levels expressed in terms of body weight also increased up to day 25 after birth and declined slightly thereafter. In contrast, serum concentrations of oxytocin increased from day 21 of pregnancy up to day 5 after birth but were stable thereafter. Oxytocin levels in both blood and the pituitary gland were equal in 23-day-old fetuses and 1-day-old infants born on day 22 of pregnancy. There was no difference in serum and pituitary oxytocin levels in newborn pups and unborn littermates of day 22 or 23 of gestation. The i.p. injection of hypertonic saline induced a significant increase in serum oxytocin levels on day 5 and later, but no effect in the fetus on day 22 of gestation and in the 1-day-old infant. The responsiveness to the osmotic stimuli increased after 5 days of age. The i.p. injection of diethyl-dithiocarbamate, a noradrenaline synthesis inhibitor, or phenobarbitone was effective in raising blood oxytocin levels only in rats older than 10 and 20 days of age respectively. These findings, that a gradual increase in oxytocin levels in both blood and the pituitary gland without an apparent increase in its release and the absence of a pituitary response to oxytocin-releasing stimuli during the perinatal period, do not support a role for fetal oxytocin in the initiation of labour in the rat. J. Endocr. (1985) 106, 311–316

EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON UTERINE ACTIVITY DURING SUCKLING IN POST-PARTUM WOMEN

1968 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gorm Wagner ◽  
Anna-Riitta Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Post Partum ◽  
Blood Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Alcohol Concentration ◽  
Target Organ ◽  
Release Mechanism ◽  
Blood Alcohol ◽  
Milk Ejection ◽  
Oxytocin Release ◽  
Milk Ejection Reflex ◽  
Prior Administration

ABSTRACT Previous experiments indicated that in the rabbit, prior administration of ethyl alcohol inhibits the release of oxytocin elicited by suckling. According to preliminary studies, the same applies also in the human. In the present studies, the effect of ethanol on the milk-ejection reflex in post-partum women was investigated more thoroughly. The milk-ejection reflex was induced by suckling of the infant. The uterine response, recorded by external tocography, was used as a measure of the oxytocin release. Alcohol was administered by mouth as whisky or brandy in suitable dilutions in amounts varying from 0.5 to 1.1 g/kg body weight. By comparison of the uterine response to endogenous (released) and exogenous (injected) oxytocin, it was estimated that about 100–250 mU oxytocin are released by the suckling stimulus in the early puerperium. When alcohol was administered before the application of the stimulus, the release of oxytocin was partially or completely inhibited, but the uterus continued to respond to exogenous oxytocin. As shown previously in the rabbit, the effect of alcohol must thus be on the central release mechanism of oxytocin and not on the peripheral response of the target organ to oxytocin. The degree of inhibition of the oxytocin release was dependent on the alcohol concentration in the blood. With an average blood alcohol concentration of 0.07 per cent the uterine response to suckling during one nursing period was less than half of that observed under normal conditions.

Oxytocin stimulates LH production by the anterior pituitary gland of the rat

1992 ◽  
Vol 132 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Robinson ◽  
J. J. Evans ◽  
K. J. Catt
Keyword(s):  
Female Rats ◽  
Release Mechanism ◽  
Protein Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Pituitary Cells ◽  
Synthesis Inhibitor ◽  
Mechanical Dispersion ◽  
Lh Release

ABSTRACT Gonadotrophin-releasing activity of oxytocin has previously been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. This study investigated whether oxytocin is also able to induce LH accumulation in pituitary cells. Following trypsin digestion and mechanical dispersion, pituitary cells from female rats were incubated with oxytocin (100 nmol/l) for 24 h. LH release stimulated by oxytocin increased (P < 0·001) progressively during the incubation indicating a different secretory pattern from the more rapid but less sustained secretion stimulated by gonadotrophin-releasing hormone. Oxytocin also enhanced (P < 0·01) total LH accumulation in the incubation system (released plus cell contents) which was apparent after 7–11 h of stimulation. The release of LH stimulated by oxytocin was reduced by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (10 μmol/l). However, cycloheximide did not completely block oxytocin-stimulated LH release; there remained some LH release above that seen in non-stimulated controls (P < 0·01) revealing the presence of a cycloheximide-resistant component in the release mechanism. Furthermore, accumulation of total LH in 24 h incubations was suppressed (P < 0·01) by cycloheximide. The advancement in LH release which oxytocin has been shown to induce in vivo in pro-oestrous rats was accompanied by an early reduction of pituitary LH stores. However, the fall normally observed in LH content during the surge was markedly attenuated by the oxytocin treatment. Thus, loss of pituitary LH stores was less in oxytocin-treated rats than in saline-treated controls, even though net LH release into plasma was increased. Therefore, oxytocin stimulated the replenishment of LH stores. Although the mechanism(s) remains to be defined and the relationships between in-vitro and in-vivo results are as yet uncharacterized, the present study demonstrates that oxytocin treatment stimulates LH production in both dispersed cells and intact pituitaries in situ. Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 132, 277–283

Pulmonary soluble guanylate cyclase, a nitric oxide receptor, is increased during the perinatal period

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (3) ◽  
pp. L400-L406 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. D. Bloch ◽  
G. Filippov ◽  
L. S. Sanchez ◽  
M. Nakane ◽  
S. M. de la Monte
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Smooth Muscle ◽  
Smooth Muscle Cells ◽  
Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase ◽  
Muscle Cells ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Beta1 Subunit

Nitric oxide (NO) has an important role in the pulmonary vasodilatation associated with the transition from fetal to neonatal life. NO activates pulmonary soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), an obligate heterodimer composed of alpha1- and beta1-subunits, increasing synthesis of guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and leading to vasodilation. In this study, regulation of sGC subunit expression during pulmonary development was examined. RNA blot hybridization revealed abundant alpha1- and beta1-subunit mRNA in lungs of late-gestation fetal and neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats, with markedly reduced levels detected in adult lungs. Pulmonary sGC enzyme activity in the presence of 1 mM sodium nitroprusside, a NO-donor compound, was approximately sevenfold greater in 1- and 8-day-old rats than in adult rats (P < 0.03). With the use of immunoblot techniques, pulmonary alpha1-subunit concentrations closely correlated with mRNA levels. With in situ hybridization, alpha1- and beta1-subunit mRNAs were readily detected in pulmonary vascular and bronchial smooth muscle cells as well as alveolar and serosal epithelial cells in lungs of 1-day-old rats. In adult lungs, sGC subunit mRNAs were present at low levels and were found nearly exclusively in bronchial and vascular smooth muscle cells. These results demonstrate that abundant pulmonary sGC is available to respond to the increased NO produced during the perinatal period. High-level expression of sGC subunit genes outside the vasculature of lungs of 1-day-old rats suggests an important role for NO-cGMP signal transduction in the perinatal regulation of pulmonary epithelial function and bronchial tone.

scholarly journals Ultrastructural Changes of Melanotropic Cells of the Intermediate Share of the Adenogophysis in the Age Aspect

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-344
Author(s):  
A. Y. Chumachenko ◽  
◽  
A. G. Redka ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Functional Activity ◽  
Secretory Granules ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Glandular Cell ◽  
Intermediate Lobe ◽  
Different Ages ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Intact Rats

In modern theoretical and practical biology and medicine, the key problem of research is to reveal the patterns of structural and functional organization of the human and animal body at different stages of development. Literature sources provide very limited data on the organization of the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis in humans, leaving insufficiently studied the ultrastructural state and activity of melanotropic cells of the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis in animals of different ages, including rats. The issues of the intermediate pituitary gland functioning remain important and little studied, especially in the period of the beginning of the optic-thalamic system. The purpose of the research was to study the ultrastructural changes of melanotropic cells of the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis in rats of different ages in the norm. Material and methods. In accordance with the purpose of the study we conducted the experiment on 30 nonlinear white male rats of different ages: 14-, 45- and 90-day-old. The animals were kept in the vivarium in equivalent conditions. The keeping and using of animals was carried out in accordance with the provisions of the "General Ethical Principles of Animal Experiments", approved by the IV National Congress of Bioethics. While examining the intermediate pituitary gland of intact rats on the electron microscope, the material was fixed in 2.5% solution of glutaraldehyde on phosphate buffer with fixation in 1% solution of osmium tetroxide according to Caulfield. It was dehydrated in alcohols of increasing concentration (70%, 80%, 90%, 100%) and acetone, poured into a mixture of epon-araldite. Semi-thin sections were made from the obtained blocks, which were stained with toluidine blue. Results and discussion. At the ultrastructural level in the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis of 14-day-old intact rats, several cell types could be identified that differed in the number and size of secretory granules. The ultrastructure of glandular cells of 45-day-old rats had no significant differences compared with 14-day-old animals. Secretory granules of different sizes and electron densities were observed in the cytoplasm of melanotropic cells. It was often possible to see a glandular cell with numerous secretory granules in one part of the cytoplasm, while in another they were virtually absent. Most melanotropocytes were characterized by slightly compacted mitochondria, but their numbers were slightly higher than in 45-day-old rats. The nuclei of most cells were large, oval in shape with a clear structure of nucleoli and their ribosomal component. The latter represented groups of ribosomes that were collected in osmophilic complexes. The amount of heterochromatin exceeded euchromatin and it was located mainly in the membrane with areas of rarefaction in the pore area Conclusion. In 14-day-old intact male rats, the intermediate lobe of the adenohypophysis was presented as a formed functionally active organ. In the ultrastructure of the cytoplasm of melanotropes there was a moderate development of organelles, and judging by the number and size of secretory granules, as well as the density of their content, we can assume that all these cells differed from each other in their functional activity. In 45-day-old intact rats, accumulation of secretory granules was observed in the cytoplasm of melanotropes, especially near the nucleus, which indicated an increase in melanocyte-stimulating hormones synthesis with age. The ultrastructural state of the cytoplasm and nucleus also indicated an increase in functional activity. The ultrastructure of the intermediate lobe cells of the adenohypophysis of rats at the age of 90 days differed from that of younger animals by signs of different functional activity of individual melanotropic cells

ALTERATIONS IN ADRENAL GROWTH AND CORTICOSTEROID CONTENT IN FOETAL AND NEONATAL RATS DEVELOPING AT HIGH ALTITUDE

1979 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. GARVEY ◽  
S. AKANA ◽  
A. WEISMAN ◽  
P. S. TIMIRAS
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Adrenal Glands ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
The Body ◽  
Adrenal Weight ◽  
Adrenocortical Function ◽  
Essentially Normal ◽  
Functional Development ◽  
Adrenal Corticosterone

To study the effects of chronic maternal hypoxia on the growth and functional development of foetal and neonatal adrenal glands, Long–Evans rats were acclimatized to high altitude (3800 m) before mating and were maintained at this height throughout gestation. The body growth of the progeny at high altitude was essentially normal during the perinatal period, but adrenal weight and adrenocortical function showed marked differences from those of control rats maintained at sea level. The adrenal glands were larger in foetuses but smaller in neonates, compared with the adrenal glands of control animals maintained at sea level. Differences in the protein content of the adrenal glands between the two groups paralleled differences in adrenal weight. The concentration and content of corticosterone in the adrenal glands of both foetuses and neonates kept at high altitude were markedly lower than values in animals kept at sea level. The lower adrenal corticosterone content was not reflected in the concentration of the hormone in the peripheral plasma, since this was essentially the same at high altitude and at sea level in both mothers and perinatal animals. The reduction in the adrenal corticosterone content was accompanied by and may have resulted from, a reduction in the concentration of cytochrome P-450 in the adrenal tissue of foetuses maintained at high altitude. Possible explanations for the dichotomous results are discussed.

Hypothalamic dopamine and catechol oestrogens in rats with spontaneous pituitary tumours

1983 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Prysor-Jones ◽  
J. J. Silverlight ◽  
J. S. Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Pituitary Tumours ◽  
Dopamine Concentration ◽  
Rat Pituitary ◽  
Pituitary Glands ◽  
Normal Rat ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Hypothalamic Dopamine

Dopamine concentration within the hypothalamus and its depletion after the administration of α-methyl-para-tyrosine were measured in young rats and compared with values obtained in aged animals with and without spontaneously occurring pituitary tumours. Old rats had significantly reduced hypothalamic dopamine concentrations and there was less depletion of dopamine compared with young animals but there were no differences between tumorous and non-tumorous animals. Hyperprolactinaemia induced in young animals caused a much greater depletion of hypothalamic dopamine than in old tumorous rats with comparable plasma prolactin concentrations. The catechol oestrogen 2-hydroxyoestradiol inhibited the release of prolactin from normal rat pituitary glands in vitro but measurement of catechol oestrogens in the hypothalamus showed no differences between young and old tumorous or non-tumorous rats. It is concluded that reduced dopamine concentration and an impaired response to hyperprolactinaemia in old rats may facilitate the growth of prolactin-secreting tumours arising in the pituitary gland.

ANDROGEN RECEPTORS IN THE RAT BRAIN, ANTERIOR PITUITARY GLAND AND VENTRAL PROSTATE GLAND: EFFECTS OF ORCHIDECTOMY AND AGEING

1979 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. GREENSTEIN
Keyword(s):  
Pituitary Gland ◽  
Binding Sites ◽  
Anterior Pituitary ◽  
Androgen Receptors ◽  
Prostate Gland ◽  
Anterior Pituitary Gland ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Ventral Prostate ◽  
Binding Reaction ◽  
Old Rats

Available high-affinity binding sites for 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) were measured in cytosols obtained from the amygdala, hypothalamus, anterior pituitary gland and ventral prostate gland of 12-week-old rats at various times after orchidectomy, and in the corresponding tissues of 18-month-old male rats. It is suggested that the lower affinity of the DHT binding reaction in brain and ventral prostatic cytosols after orchidectomy or ageing respectively, may explain, at least in part, the changes in the responsiveness of the tissues to androgens.

Effects of l-thyroxine treatment on pituitary GH content of adult rats with neonatal thyrotoxicosis

1983 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Pascual-Leone ◽  
E. Besa ◽  
F. Hervás ◽  
F. Escrivá ◽  
C. Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Specific Radioimmunoassay ◽  
Pituitary Thyroid Axis ◽  
Thyroid Axis ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
And Control ◽  
Neonatal Thyrotoxicosis ◽  
Different Doses

Abstract. Rats receiving large doses of thyroxine (30 μg/5 doses) during their first days of life develop an apparently permanent alteration of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid complex. This neonatal thyrotoxicosis has been called neo-T4 syndrome. A state of permanent but not very severe hypothyroidism seems to be induced, accompanied by a decrease in pituitary GH content at least until day 22. In this work, growth hormone content has been measured by a specific radioimmunoassay in the anterior pituitary of 45 and 78 day old neo-T4 and control (saline-injected) rats. GH content of the adult neo-T4 treated animals was significantly lower than that of the adult controls. Administration of different doses of T4 (1.7 μg/100 g body weight/3 doses or 2.5 μg/100 g body weight/8 doses, to 70 day old rats, and 5 μg/100 g body weight/3 doses to 42 day old rats) to adult neo-T4 rats did not alter these decreased pituitary GH levels. This differs from hypothyroid rats, in which T4 administration has been shown to increase pituitary GH content. A third approach was to thyroidectomize neo-T4 and control rats and administer 5 μg T4/100 g body weight, which produced the same increase in pituitary GH in both groups of animals. These results seem to indicate that changes in pituitary GH content of neo-T4 rats are not due to hypothyroidism. Thus, it would appear that treatment with large T4 doses during the early perinatal period not only deranges the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis but other pituitary functions as well.

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