title: Substance P and substance K in the median eminence and paraventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus.
abstract: We have used specific radioimmunoassays coupled with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure and characterise substance P (SP) and substance K (SK) in subdivisions of the rat hypothalamus. SP and SK levels in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) were 968 +/- 61 and 381 +/- 22 pg respectively; in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) were 210 +/- 21 and 79 +/- 8 pg; and in the median eminence/arcuate nucleus (ME) were 1044 +/- 66 and 451 +/- 20 pg. Reversed-phase HPLC revealed that immunoreactive (ir) SP was present solely in the non-oxidised form in all tissue extracts. The principal form of ir-SK in the PVN and SON coeluted with synthetic SK on HPLC, but some immunoreactivity eluted in a later position. This material represented less then 5% of the total ir-SK in extracts of the PVN and SON, but increased to 35-40% of the total in the ME. Gel chromatography and HPLC characterised this compound as being slightly smaller and more hydrophobic than SK. These results establish that ir-SK is present within the hypothalamus in varying amounts and molecular forms. The location of significant amounts of both SP and SK in the PVN and ME, the principal regions of CRF-41 synthesis and release, is compatible with a role for neurokinins in the modulation of CRF-41 and consequently ACTH release.
authors.affiliation: Neuroendocrinology Unit, Westminister Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jessop
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chowdrey
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lightman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000737:chemistry*; D015288:Neurokinin A / Q000032:analysis*; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D015288:Neurokinin A