Endothelin-3 stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Endothelin-3 (ET-3) is a member of the novel vasoconstrictive peptide family, identified in porcine central nervous system. Intravenous bolus injection of 1000 pmol/kg of ET-3 in freely moving rats caused significant increases in plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels, almost equivalent to those of 100 pmol/kg of rat corticotropin-releasing hormone (rCRH). The action of ET-3 was virtually abolished by pretreatment of CRH-antagonist, alpha-helical CRH. When ET-3 was added to cultured anterior pituitary cells, neither direct stimulation of ACTH release nor potentiation of rCRH action was noted. The results indicate that ET-3 may function as a neuropeptide and stimulation of the CRH-neurons, direct or inderect, is mainly responsible for activation of ACTH and corticosterone release.
Hirai
M
M
Department of Medicine, Fukui Medical School, Japan.
Miyabo
S
S
Ooya
E
E
Miyanaga
K
K
Aoyagi
N
N
Kimura
K
K
Kishida
S
S
Nakai
T
T
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats
D016232:Endothelins; C069206:alpha helical corticotropin-releasing hormone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone