title: In vitro study on proopiomelanocortin messenger RNA levels in cultured rat anterior pituitary cells.
abstract: The fundamental examination on the measurement of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA levels in cultured rat anterior pituitary (AP) cells was studied. In addition, the detailed study on time- and dose-related effects of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and dexamethasone on the level of POMC mRNA in AP cells in vitro was examined. Basal levels of POMC mRNA in AP cells cultured with serum initially declined after 1-day culture, gradually increased and reached a peak after 3-day culture, and then slightly decreased after 4- and 5-day culture. These mRNA levels after 3-day culture did not change through subsequent 15-hr incubation without serum. CRF treatment caused a time- and dose-dependent increase in POMC mRNA levels. The minimum effective dose of CRF was 0.1 nM for 15-hr incubation. The significant increase in POMC mRNA levels was observed after 3 hrs of 1 nM CRF treatment with a 2-fold elevation seen after 15 hrs of exposure. Dexamethasone treatment caused a dose-dependent decrease in POMC mRNA levels in AP cells. The minimum effective dose was 0.1 microgram/ml and such mRNA levels did not decrease until 15 hrs of exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tozawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ushiyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tomori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sumitomo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakagami
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shizume
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone