Action of alpha-MSH on the release of neurotransmitters from the retina

Mechanism related to reduction of intraocular pressure by melanocortins in rabbits

AIM

To investigate whether the ocular hypotensive effect of alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) is related to eicosanoids or cyclic AMP (cAMP).

METHODS

Intraocular pressure (IOP) readings were taken at a similar time on the day before and after a single dose of topical MSH. Changes in the levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and prostacyclin in incubated iris ciliary body (ICB) explants were measured by specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). Incubated ICB explants were exposed to MSH or adrenaline (epinephrine) for a week. In addition, cAMP levels in the medium were determined following short term incubation using RIA.

RESULTS

A significant dose related reduction in IOP was noted with topical MSH (mean (SD) maximal effect 4.5 (0.1) mm Hg (21%); p<0.001 v appropriate baseline) which persisted up to 6 hours (p=0.05). MSH treated ICB explants showed a 1.5-fold increase in PGE(2) and prostacyclin levels (p<0.001 for each parameter) while cAMP levels were increased twofold (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

A single application of MSH caused a sustained dose related ocular hypotensive effect with no side effects. An increase in eicosanoid and cAMP levels following ICB exposure to MSH indicated their involvement in MSH induced ocular hypotension. MSH and its analogues might have clinical relevance as antiglaucoma drugs with fewer side effects because of their antiallergic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) enhances eicosanoid production by bovine retinal pigment epithelium

Explants of bovine eyes consisting of retina, with its underlying choroid and sclera (termed retinal explants) were maintained in organ culture in the absence or presence of alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) for up to 19 days. The conditioned media was collected twice a week and assayed for the following eicosanoids, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin. The addition of alpha-MSH to the incubation media resulted in a 1.5 fold enhancement in the production of both PGE2 and prostacyclin. This stimulatory effect diminished after 11 days. Additionally, the three tissue components comprising the retinal explants i.e. 1. neural retina 2. retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with its underlying vascular layer (choroid) and 3. scleral tissue were separated and incubated in the presence or absence of alpha-MSH. Hormone treatment caused an enhanced eicosanoid production by RPE tissue alone, while its production by the neuronal retina and sclera was reduced or unaffected respectively. This demonstrates that the RPE layer is the source for the alpha-MSH induced eicosanoid production observed in the whole retinal explant. Our findings demonstrate, for the first time that alpha-MSH can stimulate prostaglandin production by RPE maintained in organ culture.

Intracameral administration of neurotensin induces miosis in the rabbit

The present investigation was designed to evaluate the effect of selected peptides on pupillary diameter and intraocular pressure (IOP) in rabbits. Intracameral (IC) administration of neurotensin (NT) in doses of 5-100 micrograms produced a significant, long lasting and dose-dependent decrease in pupillary diameter without affecting IOP. NT-induced miosis appears to be relatively specific because a variety of peptides including Gn-RH, somatostatin, met-enkephalin, bombesin, leu-enkephalin or NT1-6, (a biologically inactive N-terminal fragment of NT), produced no effect on pupillary diameter; only substance P produced miosis similar to NT when tested in a dose equimolar to 30 micrograms of NT. In addition, peripheral (intravenous) administration of NT (100 micrograms/kg) was equally ineffective. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis with indomethacin, did not prevent subsequent NT-induced miosis. Finally, IC administration of an effective dose of NT (30 micrograms) did not alter the protein concentration in the aqueous humor. These results indicate that NT-induced miosis is not mediated by endogenous prostaglandins and that this effect of NT does not appear to involve disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier, suggesting that NT may play a role in regulation of pupillary diameter.

Neurofilaments contain alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)-like immunoreactivity

An antiserum to alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) was found to contain antibodies to at least two types of determinants on the alpha-MSH peptide: one is present only on the free peptide, the other is shared with neurofilaments. Immunoblots from mouse brain showed the neurofilament crossreactivity to be located on proteins in the Mr 140,000 range. The neurofilament-crossreactive portion of the antiserum could be selectively absorbed out with a cytoskeletal preparation, which abolished all affinity of the antiserum to the retina but did not affect the labeling pattern in the pituitary. Absorptions with desacetyl-alpha-MSH and corticotropin seemed to indicate that the determinant shared with neurofilaments is not located at either end of the alpha-MSH peptide, but somewhere in between. The immunohistochemical labeling of the retina with the alpha-MSH antiserum was compared to the labeling with monoclonal antibodies against Mr 200,000 neurofilaments. In the adult retina the alpha-MSH-like immunoreactivity was found to be slightly more widespread; most consistently it was detectable in cell bodies of large ganglion cells, whereas the heavy neurofilament subunit was absent from somata and proximal axons of these cells. In the developing mouse brain, expression of the heavy subunit was found to lag 2-3 wk behind expression of the Mr 140,000 proteins. This confirms previous reports of a more restricted distribution and late expression of high molecular weight neurofilaments as compared to the lower subunits.

Chromatographic identification of enkephalins in the guinea pig retina

Immunocytochemical localization of enkephalin-like peptides and binding of several opiate ligands have been reported previously in the mammalian retina. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to separate and identify the enkephalin-related peptides in the guinea pig retina. Enkephalin-immunoreactivity in the retina was separated into three distinct fractions, as determined by radioimmunoassay. Two of these fractions were identified as Met- and Leu-enkephalin, respectively. The immunoreactive fractions were also active in inhibiting the binding of [3H]enkephalin to rat brain membranes. All immunoreactive peptides had molecular weights similar to those of the enkephalins, as determined by gel chromatography. These techniques allow us to directly assay and identify enkephalin-related peptides in retinal tissues.

Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone facilitates learning of visual but not auditory discriminations

The neuropeptide alpha-MSH has been proposed to influence learning and memory by increasing visual attention. To test the possibility that MSH selectively affects visual learning, rats were tested in learning tasks in which the cues were either visual or auditory. Maze and bar-press tasks were used. MSH administration increased the rate of learning of the visual tasks, regardless of the task difficulty or the type of response required of the rat. MSH had no effect on the rate of learning of the auditory tasks. These results support the hypothesis that MSH facilitates learning by influencing some aspect of visual information processing.