Thymopoietin and thymopentin enhance the levels of ACTH, beta-endorphin and beta-lipotropin from rat pituitary cells in vitro.
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.
Malaise
M G
MG
Hazee-Hagelstein
M T
MT
Reuter
A M
AM
Vrinds-Gevaert
Y
Y
Goldstein
G
G
Franchimont
P
P
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*
D004723:Endorphins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D013946:Thymopoietins; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D008083:beta-Lipotropin; D016305:Thymopentin