Skip to main content
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1977 Nov;272(2):469–479. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1977.sp012054

Production of corticotrophin releasing hormone by the isolated hypothalamus of the rat.

J C Buckingham, J R Hodges
PMCID: PMC1353568  PMID: 304104

Abstract

1. The ability of the rat hypothalamus to produce corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) in vitro was studied in the presence and absence of neurotransmitter substances, angiotensin and corticosterone. 2. Acetylcholine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and angiotensin II increased hypothalamic CRH release and content. 3. Noradrenaline and glycine decreased the spontaneous release of CRH from the hypothalamus but neither of these substances affected hypothalamic CRH content. 4. Dopamine, GABA, adrenaline, melatonin, histamine, glutamic acid and corticosterone did not affect the basal CRH activity of the hypothalamus in vitro. 5. Noradrenaline, GABA and corticosterone reduced the acetylcholine- and 5-HT-induced increases in the release of CRH from the hypothalamus. The rises in CRH content induced by acetylcholine and 5-HT were also reduced by noradrenaline and GABA but increased by corticosterone. 6. The physiological significance of the results and the potential value of the technique are discussed.

Full text

PDF
469

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abe K., Hiroshige T. Changes in plasma corticosterone and hypothalamic CRF levels following intraventricular injection or drug-induced changes of brain biogenic amines in the rat. Neuroendocrinology. 1974;14(3):195–211. doi: 10.1159/000122259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bohus B., Strashimirov D. Localization and specificity of corticosteroid "feedback receptors" at the hypothalamo-hypophyseal level; comparative effects of various steroids implanted in the median eminence or the anterior pituitary of the rat. Neuroendocrinology. 1970;6(4):197–209. doi: 10.1159/000121924. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradbury M. W., Burden J., Hillhouse E. W., Jones M. T. Stimulation electrically and by acetylcholine of the rat hypothalamus in vitro. J Physiol. 1974 Jun;239(2):269–283. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010568. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Buckingham J. C., Hodges J. R. The use of corticotrophin production by adenohypophysial tissue in vitro for the detection and estimation of potential corticotrophin releasing factors. J Endocrinol. 1977 Feb;72(2):187–193. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0720187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burden J., Harrison D. J., Hillhouse E. W., Ironmonger M. R., Jones M. T. Proceedings: Effects of chlorpromazine, pentobarbitone, vasopressin, angiotensin II, bradykinin and corticotrophin on the secretion of corticotrophin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus in vitro. J Endocrinol. 1975 Nov;67(2):45P–45P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chambers J. W., Brown G. M. Neurotransmitter regulation of growth hormone and ACTH in the rhesus monkey: effects of biogenic amines. Endocrinology. 1976 Feb;98(2):420–428. doi: 10.1210/endo-98-2-420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chihara K., Kato Y., Maeda K., Matsukura S., Imura H. Suppression by cyproheptadine of human growth hormone and cortisol secretion during sleep. J Clin Invest. 1976 Jun;57(6):1393–1402. doi: 10.1172/JCI108408. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Delitala G., Masala A., Alagna S., Devilla L. Effect of cyproheptadine on the spontaneous diurnal variations of plasma ACTH-cortisol and ACTH-GH secretion induced by l-dopa. Biomedicine. 1975 Dec 20;23(10):406–409. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Eisenberg R. M. Further evidence of a central alpha-adrenergic inhibitory influence on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the rat. Neuroendocrinology. 1975;17(2):154–166. doi: 10.1159/000122351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Feldman S., Conforti N., Chowers I. Effect of dexamethasone on adrenocortical responses in intact and hypothalamic deafferented rats. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1973 Aug;73(4):660–664. doi: 10.1530/acta.0.0730660. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hedge G. A., Smelik P. G. Corticotropin release: inhibition by intrahypothalamic implantation of atropine. Science. 1968 Feb 23;159(3817):891–892. doi: 10.1126/science.159.3817.891. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hodges J. R., Mitchley S. The effect of 'training' on the release of corticotrophin in response to minor stressful procedures in the rat. J Endocrinol. 1970 Jun;47(2):253–254. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0470253. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Imura H., Nakai Y., Yoshimi T. Effect of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on growth hormone and ACTH release in man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1973 Jan;36(1):204–206. doi: 10.1210/jcem-36-1-204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jones M. T., Hillhouse E. W., Burden J. Effect on various putative neurotransmitters on the secretion of corticotrophin-releasing hormone from the rat hypothalamus in vitro-a model of the neurotransmitters involved. J Endocrinol. 1976 Apr;69(1):1–10. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0690001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Krieger D. T., Rizzo F. Serotonin mediation of circadian periodicity of plasma 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. Am J Physiol. 1969 Dec;217(6):1703–1707. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1969.217.6.1703. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Makara G. B., Stark E. Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA antagonist drugs on ACTH release. Neuroendocrinology. 1974;16(3-4):178–190. doi: 10.1159/000122564. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Simon M. L., George R. Diurnal variations in plasma corticosterone and growth hormone as corrlelated with regional variations in norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin content of rat brain. Neuroendocrinology. 1975;17(2):125–138. doi: 10.1159/000122348. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Suzuki T., Hirose T., Abe K., Matsumoto I. Dissociation of adrenocortical secretory responses to cyanide and philocarpine in dogs with hypothalamic lesions. Neuroendocrinology. 1975;19(3):269–276. doi: 10.1159/000122447. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Telegdy G., Vermes I. Effect of adrenocortical hormones on activity of the serotoninergic system in limbic structures in rats. Neuroendocrinology. 1975;18(1):16–26. doi: 10.1159/000122379. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Van Loon G. R., Hilger L., King A. B., Boryczka A. T., Ganong W. F. Inhibitory effect of L-dihydroxyphenylalanine on the venous 17-hydroxycorticosteroid response to surgical stress in dogs. Endocrinology. 1971 Jun;88(6):1404–1414. doi: 10.1210/endo-88-6-1404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Van Loon G. R., Scapagnini U., Cohen R., Ganong W. F. Effect of intraventricular administration of adrenergic drugs on the adrenal venous 17-hydroxycorticosteroid response to surgical stress in the dog. Neuroendocrinology. 1971;8(5):257–272. doi: 10.1159/000122013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Vermes I., Telegdy G., Lissák K. Inhibitory action of serotonin on hypothalamus-induced ACTH release. Acta Physiol Acad Sci Hung. 1972;41(1):95–98. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Watanabe H. Binding of glucocorticoid hormones in bovine hypothalamic and pituitary cytosol. J Steroid Biochem. 1975 Jul;6(7):1113–1119. doi: 10.1016/0022-4731(75)90089-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES