Effects of hypothalamic lesions on the content of dynorphin immunoreactivity in pituitary

Immunocytochemical Characterization of Delta-Opioid and Mu-Opioid Receptor Protein in the Bovine Pineal Gland

Opioidergic innervation has been identified in the mammalian pineal gland. Recently, opioid receptors in bovine pineal glands have been characterized; the activation of these receptors leads to the stimulation of melatonin synthesis. In this study, the precise localization of opioid receptors in bovine pineal glands was determined by an immunohistochemical technique using antibodies raised against delta-opioid and mu-opioid receptors. Immunoreactivity of these two receptors was present at a moderate level in pinealocytes. A double-labeling study has shown that delta-opioid receptors are localized predominantly with mu-opioid receptors in the same pinealocytes. These immunopositive pinealocytes are often located in a group; however, some of them are dispersed individually. In addition, both types of receptors were found in glial cells and processes. A small number of delta-receptor-immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed in the perivascular space and intraparenchyma of the pineal gland. Mu-opioid receptor immunoreactivity was found in a number of nerve fibers throughout the gland, and in terminal-like dots on pinealocytes. There was immunocolocalization between delta-opioid receptors or mu-opioid receptors and leu-enkephalin in some nerve fibers. The results of this study indicate that the modulatory effect of the opioid system on melatonin secretion in pineal glands might act via opioid receptors on pinealocytes, whereas receptors located on nerve fibers might modulate the release of opioid peptides.

The stimulatory effect of mu- and delta-opioid receptors on bovine pinealocyte melatonin synthesis

Mammalian pinealocytes synthesize and secrete melatonin. The synthesis of melatonin is regulated by several biogenic amine, amino acid and peptide transmitters. In our previous study, the delta- and mu-opioid receptors have been identified and characterized in bovine pinealocytes. In order to elaborate the function of different types of opioid receptors in regulating melatonin synthesis, we used a selective mu-opioid receptor agonist, Tyr-[D-Ala(2), N-methyl-phe(4), glycol(5)] (DAMGO), a selective delta-opioid receptor agonist, Enkephalin [D-Pen(2), D-Pen(5)], (DPDPE) and a selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist, ((+)-(5alpha, 7alpha, 8beta)-N-methyl-N-[7- (1-pyrrolidinyl)-1-oxaspiro [4,5] dec-8-yl]-benzene acetamide) (U69593) to investigate the activity of N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity and melatonin secretion. The results of the present study show that both DAMGO and DPDPE stimulated NAT activity and increased the level of melatonin in cultured bovine pinealocytes. These stimulatory effects were blocked by naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. However, the kappa-opioid receptor agonist U69593 was unable to alter either the activity of NAT or the level of melatonin. In order to clarify the mechanism of how the activation of mu- and delta-opioid receptors in bovine pinealocytes leads to an increase in NAT activity, cyclic AMP levels were measured after bovine pinealocytes were treated with morphine, DAMGO and DPDPE. The results indicated that these stimulatory effects acted via induction of cAMP production. This study reveals that the stimulatory effect of opioid receptor on melatonin synthesis is mediated via the activation of adenylate cyclase system.

Role of the ventromedial hypothalamus in the regulation of adenohypophyseal immunoreactive dynorphin in the rat

In this study, we have examined the role of the dorsomedial (DMH), ventromedial (VMH) and arcuate (ARH) nuclei of the hypothalamus in the control of hypothalamic and pituitary immunoreactive (ir) dynorphin (Dyn) A and ir-Dyn B in the rat, by evaluating the effect of discrete, bilateral radiofrequency lesions in these structures. Lesions limited to the VMH reduced the content of ir-Dyn in the anterior pituitary but not in the neurointermediate lobe or in the hypothalamus. Gel chromatographic analysis of anterior pituitary extracts confirmed that ir-Dyn is mainly associated with high molecular weight forms containing Dyn A and Dyn B in their sequence. Anterior pituitary extracts of VMH-lesioned rats displayed a clearly lower proportion of these forms. Destruction of the DMH affected only the hypothalamic content of ir-Dyn; ablation of the ARH did not cause any significant change. Our results suggest that ablation of the VMH may disrupt critical neuronal connections to the median eminence originating in this nucleus or crossing it and participating in control of the adenohypophyseal pool of ir-Dyn.

Immunoreactive dynorphin-A in bovine anterior pituitary and its in vitro release

The anterior lobe (AL) of the bovine pituitary contained and released, during in vitro culture, a form of immunoreactive dynorphin-A (ir-DYN-A) larger than that occurring in neural tissue. Bovine AL tissue from intact females contained less ir-DYN-A than did AL tissue from castrated males. Enzymatically dispersed AL cells contained and released ir-DYN-A in vitro. Preincubation of dispersed AL cells for 18 hr, rather than 1.5 hr, increased the content and release of ir-DYN-A as well as LH. Addition of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to tissue slices or dispersed cells stimulated release of LH, but in contrast to published observations from rat AL, GnRH had no effect on release of ir-DYN-A. Addition of estradiol-17 beta, with or without progesterone, increased release of ir-DYN-A but not LH during 2-hr cultures. In summary, bovine AL contains and releases in vitro a large molecular weight form of ir-DYN-A. Although this ir-DYN-A was not coreleased with LH, a reproductive role was suggested by in vivo and in vitro effects of gonadal hormones on ir-DYN-A in the bovine anterior pituitary.

Effect of discrete brain lesions on hypothalamic and pituitary immunoreactive dynorphin

Radiofrequency lesions of the anterior hypothalamic area reduced immunoreactive dynorphin (ir-DYN) in the hypothalamus and in the neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary. Ablation of the medial preoptic area was not associated with any significant modification of ir-DYN in the tissue examined. Destruction of the medial basal hypothalamus in parallel lowered ir-DYN in the hypothalamus and in both pituitary lobes. Neonatal administration of monosodium glutamate had no significant effect on ir-DYN. These findings indicate that changes of ir-DYN in the hypothalamus and pituitary are associated with the destruction of anatomically and functionally distinct neural systems.

Immunoreactive dynorphin-like material in rat pituitary after ovariectomy

Ovariectomy caused a significant increase of immunoreactive dynorphin-like material (IR-DYAN) in the anterior pituitary lobe of intact as well as of medial basal hypothalamus-lesioned rats. No change of IR-DYAN was observed in the neurointermediate lobe of the gland or in the hypothalamus. Estradiol benzoate reversed the increase of anterior pituitary IR-DYAN induced by ovariectomy and caused a reduction in sham-ovariectomized rats.