title: Thymopoietin and thymopentin enhance the levels of ACTH, beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin from rat pituitary cells in vitro.
abstract: Thymopoietin and thymopentin are well characterized polypeptides influencing immunoregulation by several mechanisms. Proposed as a therapy in diseases with major immune abnormalities such as rheumatoid arthritis, thymopentin improved within 2 weeks some clinical parameters as pain and joint swelling. The hypothesis that this spectacular effect could be mediated through interactions with anti-inflammatory (ACTH) and pain relieving (beta-endorphin) hormones producing cells was tested on the rat isolated pituitary cell model. Thymopentin and thymopoietin can enhance in vitro the levels of ACTH, beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin in a time- and dose-dependent fashion for physiological concentrations ranging from 10(-12) to 10(-8) mol/l. The action on pituitary cells was restricted to those molecules as no changes occurred in LH, FSH, GH, TSH and PRL levels, after otherwise identical experimental conditions.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Malaise
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hazee-Hagelstein
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vrinds-Gevaert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Franchimont
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004723:Endorphins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D016305:Thymopentin; D013946:Thymopoietins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D008083:beta-Lipotropin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D008083:beta-Lipotropin; D016305:Thymopentin