Relationship between pituitary ACTH content and hypothalamic catecholamines in the rat.
Hypothalamic concentrations of epinephrine and norepinephrine were determined in rats following 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the locus coeruleus and subcoeruleus system and following sham-operation. These concentrations were correlated with pituitary ACTH content. While the lesion procedure did not have a major effect on hypothalamic monoamine levels, we were able to demonstrate a strong negative correlation between hypothalamic epinephrine and pituitary ACTH content independent of the experimental condition. Only a weak negative correlation was observed for hypothalamic norepinephrine and pituitary ACTH. Our recent and previous data suggest a tonic and phasic inhibition of ACTH release by hypothalamic monoamines.
Lehnert
H
H
Third Medical University Hospital, Dept. of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
Beyer
J
J
Reinstein
D K
DK
Richardson
U I
UI
Wurtman
R J
RJ
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000032:analysis
D014443:Tyrosine; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine