Effect of pentobarbital and ehter stress on serum prolactin levels in rats

Proteomics of the Anterior Pituitary Gland as a Model for Studying the Physiology of a Heterogeneous Organ

The anterior pituitary gland (AP) secretes six established hormones that collectively control hundreds of biological and behavioral functions. Because of advances in mass spectrometry (MS), protein labeling, and bioinformatics, it is now possible to characterize, compare, and quantify the AP hormones together with large numbers of nonhormonal AP proteins. For example, by using high-performance liquid chromatography in line with tandem MS we characterized 145 proteins in subcellular fractions of the AP of young adult male Golden Syrian hamsters and 115 proteins in subcellular fractions of the AP of young adult male mice. These included hormones, proteins involved in hormone synthesis and release, and housekeeping proteins. We also used difference gel electrophoresis in conjunction with MS and peptide mass fingerprinting to quantify the effects of estrogen on the AP-soluble protein fraction in rats. Ovarlectomized rats were administered 50 μg of estradiol valerate subcutaneously and studied 48 hrs later, before the onset of the anticipated surges of gonadotropins in blood. Following DeCyder image analysis, we Identified by MS and peptide mass fingerprinting 26 protein spots that were upregulated and 19 protein spots that were downregulated. Estrogen increased levels of acidic isoforms of growth hormone and Prolactin, several proteins involved in protein synthesis, folding and secretion, and several metabolic enzymes. Most of the downregulated proteins are involved in RNA or DNA interactions. We followed up on the results with RT-PCR and immunohistochemical techniques to demonstrate that one protein identified by MS in hamster AP, fertility protein SP22, is synthesized in the AP and localized primarily in somatotropes and thyrotropes. These experiments demonstrate the efficacy of our proteomics approach to characterize AP proteins and quantify changes in them. The approaches used to study the AP could serve as a model to investigate other heterogeneous organs.

Effect of adrenalectomy and dexamethasone treatment on prolactin secretion of lactating rats

The contribution of corticosteroids to the control of prolactin secretion in lactating rats was investigated. The prolactin response to domperidone (20 microg/kg b.w., i.v.), a dopamine receptor antagonist and to domperidone plus formalin stress was tested in adrenalectomized and/or dexamethasone-treated continuously nursing rats. Animals were adrenalectomized on the 3rd day of lactation and tested on the 7th day of lactation. Dexamethasone was injected s.c. 24 h before testing (400 microg/kg b.w.) and on the day of testing (200 microg/kg b.w.). Domperidone caused a significant rise in plasma prolactin levels. The prolactin response to domperidone was twice as high in solely adrenalectomized dams and in solely dexamethasone-treated rats compared to controls. In adrenalectomized animals treated with dexamethasone, the prolactin response to domperidone was like in controls. Formalin injection to either adrenalectomized plus domperidone-treated animals or to animals injected with dexamethasone plus domperidone, resulted in a statistically significant depletion of plasma prolactin. In controls and in adrenalectomized animals receiving dexamethasone and domperidone, the prolactin response to formalin was very similar, i.e., plasma prolactin levels did not change after the administration of formalin. The present findings suggest that in lactating rats, corticosteroids are involved in the prolactin response to domperidone and to formalin stress.

Arylsulphatase activity in the oviduct of the frog Rana esculenta. I. Oestradiol-induced changes following ovariectomy and hypophysectomy

The effects of oestradiol treatment on arylsulphatase activity in the frog oviduct are reported. Oestradiol-induced changes were also investigated in ovariectomized and hypophysectomized animals. Under all the experimental conditions, hormonal treatment causes an increase in enzyme activity. This can be observed biochemically and also histochemically on frozen sections. Hypotheses are advanced to explain fluctuations in arylsulphatase activity.

Interactions of nicotine and pentobarbitone in the regulation of telencephalic and hypothalamic catecholamine levels and turnover and of adenohypophyseal hormone secretion in the normal male rat

The effects of single intraperitoneal injections of nicotine (1 mg/kg) and the sedative-hypnotic drug pentobarbitone (30 mg/kg) alone or in combination have been studied on catecholamine (CA) nerve terminal system of the hypothalamus and the forebrain and on the adenohypophyseal hormone secretion of the normal male rat. Nicotine produced discrete reductions of dopamine (DA) levels and increases of DA turnover in striatal and limbic areas of the forebrain and increases of amine turnover in different hypothalamic noradrenaline (NA) nerve terminal systems. These effects were all antagonized by simultaneous treatment with pentobarbitone. Pentobarbitone alone, however, did not modulate CA levels or turnover in the various parts of the hypothalamus and forebrain analyzed. On the other hand, pentobarbitone increased GH and prolactin secretion and in association with tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition markedly reduced corticosterone secretion. These effects were partly counteracted by nicotine in the case of GH and prolactin secretion. Furthermore, a positive interaction appears to exist between nicotine and pentobarbitone in their actions on LH secretion. The results suggest that pentobarbitone can antagonize the actions of nicotine on CA levels and turnover in various CA nerve terminal systems of the brain leading to possible reductions in nicotine induced arousal and positive reinforcement. The neuroendocrine actions of pentobarbitone do not seem to be greatly modulated through nicotinic cholinergic receptors.

Effect of prolactin on urinary excretion and renal haemodynamics in conscious rats

1. Conscious rats received a saline infusion (5.8 ml . hr-1) via a tail vein, for a 6 hr period. For the final 2 hr of this infusion period, prolactin (7.1 microgram (100 g body wt.)-1 . hr-1) was incorporated in the infusate. A control group of animals continued to receive saline alone. 2. In the first hour of prolactin administration (in comparison with the control group), urine flow, sodium output and osmolal output were all significantly reduced (P less than 0.02); there was also a reduction (P less than 0.05) in renal plasma flow (p-amino-hippurate clearance), but the filtration fraction did not alter. The changes in urinary excretion, and in renal haemodynamics, did not persist for the second hour of prolactin administration, but there was a sustained increase in body fluid volume. 3. It is possible that altered renal haemodynamics are responsible for the reduced urinary water and solute excretion which occurs during acute prolactin administration.

Prolactin release induced by histamine in maturing male and female rats

It has been previously shown that histamine (HA) increases PRL release in adult rats. The purpose of the present work was to determine the ontogeny of the HA-induced PRL response in male and female rats. Animals from day 1 to day 40 after birth were injected, under ether anesthesia, into the lateral brain ventricles with 9.0 micrograms HA (free base) per rat. Fifteen minutes later a sample of blood was taken from the jugular vein and plasma PRL levels were determined by RIA. Results obtained indicate that HA is able to induce increased PRL release in developing rats. Sex differences were observed. In male rats, the earliest PRL response was observed at day 10 whereas female rats showed clearcut responses at day 1. During development, males showed a quite regular pattern of responses but in female rats there were highly irregular; positive responses did present a 5-day periodicity. In general terms, the magnitude of the PRL responses in developing rats was lower than observed in adult rats. However, in 20-day old male and female rats and 40-day old female rats, a marked increase of PRL took place after the HA injection.