Osmotic stimulation affects neurohypophysial corticotropin releasing factor-41 content: effect of dexamethasone

Changes in CRH and ACTH synthesis during experimental and human septic shock

CONTEXT

The mechanisms of septic shock-associated adrenal insufficiency remain unclear. This study aimed at investigating the synthesis of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin (AVP) by parvocellular neurons and the antehypophyseal expression of ACTH in human septic shock and in an experimental model of sepsis.

OBJECTIVE

To test the hypothesis that ACTH secretion is decreased secondarily to alteration of CRH or AVP synthesis, we undertook a neuropathological study of the antehypophyseal system in patients who had died from septic shock and rats with experimental faecal peritonitis.

METHODS

Brains obtained in 9 septic shock patients were compared to 10 nonseptic patients (controls). Parvocellular expression of AVP and CRH mRNA were evaluated by in situ hybridization. Antehypophyseal expression of ACTH, vasopressin V1b and CRH R1 receptors and parvocellular expression of iNOS in the PVN were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The same experiments were carried out in a fecal peritonitis-induced model of sepsis. Data from septic rats with (n = 6) or without (n = 10) early death were compared to sham-operated (n = 8) animals.

RESULTS

In patients and rats, septic shock was associated with a decreased expression of ACTH, unchanged expression of V1B receptor, CRHR1 and AVP mRNA, and increased expression of parvocellular iNOS compared to controls. Septic shock was also characterized by an increased expression of CRH mRNA in rats but not in patients, who notably had a greater duration of septic shock.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that in humans and in rats, septic shock is associated with decreased ACTH synthesis that is not compensated by its two natural secretagogues, AVP and CRH. One underlying mechanism might be increased expression of iNOS in hypothalamic parvocellular neurons.

Stress-specific regulation of corticotropin releasing hormone receptor expression in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus in the rat

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), a major regulator of pituitary ACTH secretion, also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. To determine whether CRH is involved in the regulation of hypothalamic function during stress, CRH receptor binding and CRH receptor mRNA levels were studied in the hypothalamus of rats subjected to different stress paradigms: immobilization, a physical-psychological model; water deprivation and 2% saline intake, osmotic models; and i.p. hypertonic saline injection, a combined physical-psychological and osmotic model. In agreement with the distribution of CRH receptor binding in the brain, in situ hybridization studies using 35S-labeled cRNA probes revealed low levels of CRH receptor mRNA in the anterior hypothalamic area, which were unaffected after acute or chronic exposure to any of the stress paradigms used. Under basal conditions, there was no CRH binding or CRH receptor mRNA in the supraoptic (SON) or paraventricular (PVN) nuclei. However, 2 h after the initiation of acute immobilization, CRH receptor mRNA hybridization became evident in the parvicellular division of the PVN, with levels substantially increasing from 2 to 4 h, decreasing at 8 h and disappearing by 24 h. Identical hybridization patterns of CRH receptor mRNA were found in the parvicellular PVN after repeated immobilization; levels were similar to those after 2 h single stress following immobilization at 8-hourly intervals for 24 h (3 times), and very low, but clearly detectable 24 h after 8 or 14 days daily immobilization for 2 h. On the other hand, water deprivation for 24 or 60 h and intake of 2% NaCl for 12 days induced expression of CRH receptor mRNA in the SON and magnocellular PVN, but not in the parvicellular pars of the PVN.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The role of central corticoliberin in the hyperosmosis-induced secretion of neurohypophysial hormones and corticosterone in the rat

Although synthetic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is known to influence the secretion of the neurohypophysial hormones, the role of endogenous CRH in the rat brain is still unclear in this respect. Accordingly, experiments were scheduled to study the effects of intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered CRH-antiserum (AS) on the hyperosmosis-induced secretion of arginine-8-vasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OXT) and corticosterone in Wistar male rats. A 2 microliters CRH-AS injection was given, and repeated 24 h later, 30 min prior to intraperitoneal administration of hypertonic saline (HS; 2.5% NaCl, 2 ml/100 g body weight) followed by decapitation in 15 min. Plasma AVP and OXT were measured by radioimmunoassay and corticosterone by fluorimetry. HS increased the levels of AVP, OXT and corticosterone. CRH-AS did not change the plasma concentrations of these hormones in 0.9% NaCl-treated animals. CRH-AS pretreatment prevented the corticosterone-releasing action of HS, and significantly moderated the HS-induced AVP and OXT increase. These findings suggest that the central CRH system may participate in the regulation of corticosterone and neurohypophysial hormone secretion evoked by acute osmotic challenge.

Nitric oxide synthase increases in hypothalamic magnocellular neurons after salt loading in the rat. An immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization study

Magnocellular hypothalamic neurons of the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei have been shown to contain a wide variety of messenger molecules in addition to vasopressin and oxytocin, including the nitric oxide (NO)-synthesizing enzyme (NOS). In this paper we have investigated the effects of salt loading on the expression of NOS by means of immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridization. The results show an increase in the number of NOS-immunoreactive (IR) neurons both in the PVN and the SON after 5 and 14 days of salt loading. Several of these neurons were double labelled with vasopressin antiserum. In situ hybridization showed a marked increase in the number of neurons expressing NOS mRNA and a stronger signal in individual neurons. The present results suggest a role for NO in the magnocellular hypothalamic system after salt loading.

The role of central corticoliberin in the ether stress-induced secretion of neurohypophyseal hormones and corticosterone in the rat

As corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and oxytocin (OXT) are released in response to various stressors and a role of CRF in stress-induced OXT secretion has been proposed by previous authors, the present experiments were scheduled to investigate the participation of the brain CRF system in the stress-evoked release of OXT, arginine-8-vasopressin (AVP) and corticosterone. CRF-antiserum (AS) was given into the lateral ventricle of the brain of Wistar male rats, and 24 h later, the injection was repeated 30 min prior to ether stress followed by decapitation in 5 min. Plasma OXT and AVP were measured by radioimmunoassay and corticosterone by fluorimetry. Ether stress increased the levels of corticosterone and OXT, but not that of AVP. CRF-AS alone did not change the secretion of these hormones. CRF-AS pretreatment blocked the corticosterone-releasing action of ether stress, whereas it exerted no influence on the stress-induced OXT secretion into the circulation. There was no effect of a combined application of CRF-AS and stress on the plasma AVP level. These results suggest that the central CRF system is involved in the ether stress-elicited corticosterone response, however CRF is unlikely to be connected with the regulation of OXT secretion under these experimental conditions.

Interactions between neurohypophysial hormones and the ACTH-adrenocortical axis

Figure 5 summarizes the aspects of the interaction of the HPA and magnocellular systems discussed above. Hormones classically considered confined to the magnocellular-neurohypophysial system are found in the parvocellular-long portal system and are known to be paramount in the hypophysiotropic control of ACTH release. It is now clear that hormones from the posterior pituitary can influence the secretion of ACTH via the short portal circulation and, possibly, by recirculation. There is some evidence that circulating AVP may affect adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. Corticosteroids, in addition to inhibiting parvocellular CRH and ACTH release, may inhibit the release of AVP from the neurohypophysis. The converse is also true in that patients with adrenal insufficiency may have an SIAD-like scenario. CRH may be synthesized in, and secreted from, magnocellular OT neurons and may be involved in the control of neurohypophysial function.

Disturbance of fluid homeostasis leads to temporally and anatomically distinct responses in neuropeptide and tyrosine hydroxylase mRNA levels in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the rat

The response of six mRNAs (for prepro-corticotropin-releasing hormone, prepro-enkephalin, prepro-vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/peptide histidine isoleucine, prepro-neurotensin/neuromedin N, prepro-cholecystokinin, and prepro-tyrosine hydroxylase) was measured in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei after increasing periods of osmotic stimulation caused by the replacement of regular drinking water with hypertonic saline (up to five days) or by forced dehydration (up to three days). In addition, hematocrits and concentrations of corticosterone were determined after the different periods of osmotic stimulation and correlated with the effects on the content of the various mRNAs. The temporal response of the mRNAs within the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei to osmotic stimulation was different within the three compartments of these nuclei. First, in response to overnight osmotic stimulation, magnocellular neurosecretory neurons increased their mRNA content for two molecules (prepro-corticotropin-releasing hormone and tyrosine hydroxylase). As the stimulus was maintained over the next two to four days, these cells accumulated the mRNAs for at least three other peptides (cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/peptide histidine isoleucine and enkephalin). Second, the response of peptide-coding mRNAs in parvicellular neurosecretory neurons of the paraventricular nucleus appeared to be slower; no changes could be measured after overnight stimulation. However, after a further two- to four-days of continued osmotic stimulation, the content of the mRNA coding for corticotropin-releasing hormone markedly decreased while that for cholecystokinin increased. No change in the content of the mRNAs coding for prepro-vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/peptide histidine isoleucine, enkephalin, and prepro-neurotensin/neuromedin N could be seen at any time after osmotic stimulation in parvicellular neurosecretory neurons. Third, increases in the content of mRNA coding for corticotropin-releasing hormone in the parvicellular neurons that provide descending projections from the paraventricular nucleus could only be detected after longer periods of osmotic stimulation. The effect of osmotic stimulation on plasma corticosterone concentrations was quickly apparent; plasma corticosterone concentrations were significantly elevated on the first morning after the beginning of salt-loading, and demonstrated the rapid effects of osmotic stimulation on the mechanisms controlling corticosterone release. These results show that the synthetic capability of cells in all three compartments of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei are modified by osmotic stimulation over different time scales, thereby allowing differential modulation of the neuroendocrine, autonomic, and behavioral components of the animal's response to disturbances in fluid homeostasis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Long-term salt loading impairs pituitary responsiveness to ACTH secretagogues and stress in rats

Male Wistar rats were allowed to drink tap water ad lib (W), 2% saline (S) or 2% saline containing dexamethasone (S + D, 1 mg/l) for 7 days. On the 8th day rats were subjected to a 3-min ether stress. Plasma ACTH, corticosterone and prolactin concentrations were determined before and after ether exposure. Prestress concentrations of plasma ACTH were low and did not vary among the three groups. In response to ether stress W rats exhibited twice as high plasma ACTH concentrations as did S rats. Rats of the S + D group exhibited a small but statistically significant ACTH response. Plasma corticosterone concentration in S rats was increased while in S + D rats was significantly decreased under resting conditions compared to that in W rats. Ether stress caused large increases in plasma corticosterone concentrations in W and S rats while a small but statistically significant increase was observed in S + D rats. Prolactin responses to ether were smaller in groups S and S + D than in group W. To test whether the decreased ACTH response to ether exposure was a result of a decreased sensitivity of corticotrope cells to corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-41 or arginine vasopressin (AVP), adenohypophysial fragments from W, S and S + D rats were incubated in the presence of different doses of CRF-41 or AVP. Pituitary fragments obtained from W rats secreted larger amounts of ACTH than did pituitaries from S rats in response to either CRF-41 or AVP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)