title: Role of the kidney in regulating plasma immunoreactive beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
abstract: An analysis of the factors that influence the increase in plasma immunoreactive beta-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (beta-MSH) concentration in chronic renal failure showed that: (a) the increase correlated with the increase in serum creatinine concentrations; (b) beta-MSH was not cleared from the plasma by haemodialysis; (c) beta-MSH concentrations increased with length of time on dialysis and increased further after bilateral nephrectomy but there was no further increase with time; (d) beta-MSH levels decreased to normal after renal transplantation; and (e) beta-MSH was excreted in urine only when plasma levels rose to well above those of chronic renal failure (in Nelson's syndrome). These findings suggest that the kidney regulated plasma beta-MSH by a non-excretory mechanism and is the major site of beta-MSH metabolism.
mesh_terms: D000906:Antibodies; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D009392:Nephrectomy; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D003404:Creatinine