title: Evidence for the presence of adrenocorticotropic and opiate-like hormones in the brains of two sea snakes, Hydrophis cyanocinctus and Lapemis hardwickii.
abstract: The brain acetone powders of the sea snakes Hydrophis cyanocinctus and Lapemis hardwickii were extracted with a mixture of acetone:water:hydrochloric acid (40:21:1 by volume) and the extracts were then added to a copious volume of acetone, in accordance with the method of C. H. Li (1952, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 74, 2134) for preparing adrenocorticotropin and beta-endorphin from mammalian pituitaries. The resultant precipitate, designated acid acetone powder, possessed adrenocorticotropic activity as evidenced in its ability to stimulate corticosterone production in isolated rat adrenal decapsular cells and lipolysis in isolated hamster adipocytes, and in its cross-reactivity in an ACTH radioimmunoassay. The presence of opioid molecules was indicated by activity in opiate radioreceptor assay using either 3H-D-Ala2-D-Leu5 enkephalin or [3H]naloxone as ligand and rat brain membranes. The brain acetone powders possessed neither "lactogenic" nor "somatogenic" activity as evidenced by their inability to displace the primary ligand in the rat hepatic prolactin receptor- and growth hormone receptor-binding assays, respectively.
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004399:Dynorphins / Q000378:metabolism; D004723:Endorphins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008066:Lipolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D012911:Snakes / Q000378:metabolism*; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D014020:Tissue Extracts; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D016308:Enkephalin, Leucine-2-Alanine; D004399:Dynorphins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D003345:Corticosterone