Involvement of metallo-endopeptidase in degradation of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone by neuronal and glial cells cultured from rat fetal brain

Inhibition of corneal metabolism of deslorelin by EDTA and ZnCl2

It was the aim of this study to determine whether deslorelin is degraded by the rabbit corneal tissue and to further delineate the mechanisms. Deslorelin was incubated with intact cornea either alone or in the presence of 0.1 mM ouabain, 0.1% 2,4-dinitrophenol, 0.1 mM phosphoramidon, 0.1 mM N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethylketone (TPCK), 0.1-2% EDTA, 0.1-1% ZnCl2, 0.1% dithiothreitol (DTT), or 0.1% N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) at 37 degrees C. In addition, deslorelin alone was incubated with cornea at 4 degrees C. Following a 90-min incubation, the supernatants were analyzed using a reversed-phase HPLC. Metabolite peaks observed in controls at 37 degrees C were not detected in the low-temperature study, suggesting inhibition of metabolism at low temperature. Intact drug remaining in the supernatant was not altered by ouabain and dinitrophenol, suggesting that energy-dependent corneal uptake is not likely for deslorelin. Phosphoramidon and TPCK failed to alter deslorelin levels, indicating that phosphoramidon and TPCK-sensitive endopeptidases did not contribute to the observed metabolism. DTT and NEM also failed to affect deslorelin levels. However, 2% EDTA and 1% ZnCl2 significantly elevated the intact deslorelin levels by 44 and 60%, respectively, and the metabolite peaks almost completely disappeared. These observations are consistent with the corneal metabolism of deslorelin by either metallo-peptidases or metal-dependent peptidases.

Long-term exposure of hypothalamic explants to melatonin alters the release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone and the density of melatonin binding sites in the pars tuberalis of the male mink (Mustela vison)

To investigate the action of melatonin on the reproductive system, the effect of prolonged versus short-term exposure to melatonin on the release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) was examined in hypothalamic explants of male mink sacrificed in July, September or November. Mediobasal hypothalamic (MBH) explants including the pars tuberalis (PT) were incubated for 1 night with or without melatonin (10(-8) M) for 8 hr or 16 hr and the release of GnRH was then measured. The next day, the explants were incubated further but in a melatonin free buffer, and the release of GnRH was measured with increasing time. Half of the July and September explants had melatonin binding sites quantified by autoradiography. In November, a 16-hr exposure to melatonin induced a significant increase in the release of GnRH during the night, compared with control or 8-hr melatonin exposure. This increase persisted for at least 45 min after the withdrawal of melatonin, suggesting a stimulatory effect of melatonin on the synthesis of GnRH; this effect was apparent in July, September and November. In September, the density of melatonin binding in the PT was significantly lower in the explants incubated for 16 hr with melatonin, compared with those incubated for 8 hr. Thus, in vitro, a long exposure to melatonin, mimicking a single long night, stimulates the release and synthesis of GnRH in parallel with a decrease in the density of melatonin binding in the PT. These effects seem to depend heavily on the duration of exposure to melatonin.

Metabolism of [Des-Gly10,D-Trp6]LHRH ethylamide in rabbit nasal tissue

The objective of this study was to determine whether [Des-Gly10, D-Trp6] LHRH ethylamide, a nonapeptide LHRH agonist known as deslorelin, is degraded by the rabbit nasal tissue. Deslorelin was incubated with nasal tissue either alone or in the presence of 0.1 mM ouabain, 0.1% 2,4-dinitrophenol, 0.1 mM phosphoramidon, 0.1 mM N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethylketone (TPCK) or 2% EDTA at 37 degrees C. Furthermore, deslorelin alone was incubated with nasal tissue at 4 degrees C. All incubation solutions were adjusted to isotonicity and pH 5.0. At the end of 90 min, the supernatants were analyzed using a reversed-phase HPLC. Metabolite peaks could be detected in all the above experiments except the low temperature study, suggesting inhibition of metabolism at low temperature. Intact drug remaining in the supernatant was elevated by about 32% by ouabain and dinitrophenol, suggesting that energy-dependent cellular uptake is likely for deslorelin. Phosphoramidon and TPCK failed to alter deslorelin levels, suggesting that phosphoramidon and TPCK sensitive endopeptidases did not contribute to the observed deslorelin metabolism. However, EDTA significantly elevated the intact deslorelin levels in a dose-dependent manner, with an elevation of 113% with 2% EDTA. With 2% EDTA, the metabolite peaks almost completely disappeared, indicating a possible role for either metal-activated peptidases or metallo-endopeptidases in the nasal metabolism of deslorelin.

Endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 are responsible for the degradation of somatostatin, neurotensin, and other neuropeptides by cultivated rat cortical astrocytes

Several neuropeptides, including neurotensin, somatostatin, bradykinin, angiotensin II, substance P, and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone but not vasopressin and oxytocin, were actively metabolized through proteolytic degradation by cultivated astrocytes obtained from rat cerebral cortex. Because phenanthroline was an effective degradation inhibitor, metalloproteases were responsible for neuropeptide fragmentation. Neurotensin was cleaved by astrocytes at the Pro10-Tyr11 and Arg8-Arg9 bonds, whereas somatostatin was cleaved at the Phe6-Phe7 and Thr10-Phe11 bonds. These cleavage sites have been found previously with endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 purified from rat brain. Addition of specific inhibitors of these proteases, the dipeptide Pro-Ile and N-[1-(RS)-carboxy-3-phenylpropyl]-Ala-Ala-Phe-4-aminobenzoate, significantly reduced the generation of the above neuropeptide fragments by astrocytes. The presence of endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 in homogenates of astrocytes could also be demonstrated by chromatographic separations of supernatant solubilized cell preparations. Proteolytic activity for neurotensin eluted after both gel and hydroxyapatite chromatography at the same positions as found for purified endopeptidase 24.16 or 24.15. In incubation experiments or in chromatographic separations no phosphoramidon-sensitive endopeptidase 24.11 (enkephalinase) or captopril-sensitive peptidyl dipeptidase A (angiotensin-converting enzyme) could be detected in cultivated astrocytes. Because astrocytes embrace the neuronal synapses where neuropeptides are released, we presume that the endopeptidases 24.16 and 24.15 on astrocytes are strategically located to contribute significantly to the inactivation of neurotensin, somatostatin, and other neuropeptides in the brain.

Evidence for thiol-dependent metallo-endopeptidase involved in degradation of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone in glioma cells

An endopeptidase generating a peptide comprised of the first five amino acids of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) was isolated form the membranes of glioma C6 cells by a procedure including Brij extraction, p-mercuribenzoate-Sepharose chromatography, and Mono Q high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 64,000. The glial enzyme shows a similar inhibitor susceptibility to that of the enzyme of neuronal origin, and also to that of endopeptidase-24.15 (EC 3.4.24.15). Angiotensin-converting enzyme (EC 3.4.15.11) is suggested to be involved in the secondary cleavage of LHRH by the glioma cells.