Damaged rat peripheral nerves do not contain detectable amounts of alpha-MSH.
Peptides related to alpha-MSH (collectively termed melanocortins) stimulate nerve growth following injury and may play a physiological role in the repair process. Melanocortins are not normally present in mature peripheral nerves but MSH-like bioactivity has been observed in extracts of injured nerves. alpha-MSH could derive from reexpression of the POMC prohormone in injured nerves or from proteolysis of the intermediate-size neurofilament protein that bears antigenic similarities to melanocortins. Using a radioimmunoassay that will distinguish between alpha-MSH and neurofilament-derived fragments, we have shown that alpha-MSH is not present (detection limit 74 pg alpha-MSH/mg protein) in damaged rat sciatic nerves.
Verhaagen
J
J
Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Edwards
P M
PM
Gispen
W H
WH
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000378:metabolism*
D000521:alpha-MSH