title: Neuromedin U-like immunoreactivity in the thyroid gland of the rat.
abstract: Neuromedin U is a novel neuropeptide found to have a widespread distribution extending throughout the mammalian central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and the endocrine cells of the pituitary gland. In order to investigate the possibility that neuromedin U-like immunoreactivity is also present in the thyroid gland of the adult rat we have examined its localisation and molecular nature by radioimmunoassay, immunocytochemistry and chromatographic analysis. The neuromedin U content of the whole thyroid gland was found to be 331 +/- 67 fmol/gland (mean +/- SEM), and this value significantly decreased (163 +/- 17 fmol/gland) as a result of 14 days of treatment with the anti-thyroid agent methimazole (10 mg/rat/day. Thyrotoxicosis induced by exogenous T4 (10 micrograms/rat/day) failed to alter the thyroid content of this peptide. Immunostaining studies localised neuromedin U to a minor population of parafollicular C-cells in untreated animals. Complementary chromatographic studies revealed a single molecular form of neuromedin U-like immunoreactivity in thyroid tissue extracts which was indistinguishable from synthetic rat neuromedin U standard.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domin
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Al-Madani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desperbasques
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Polak
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bloom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008713:Methimazole / Q000494:pharmacology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; C056900:neuromedin U; D008713:Methimazole; D013974:Thyroxine