Corticotropin-releasing factor stimulates secretion of melanocyte-stimulating hormone from the rat pituitary.
Administration of synthetic ovine corticotropin-releasing factor led to rapid, parallel increases in adrenocorticotropin and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone concentrations in rat plasma. Prior treatment with dexamethasone almost completely blocked the adrenocorticotropin response but not the increase in melanocyte-stimulating hormone. These data demonstrate that corticotropin-releasing factor is a potent stimulator not only of adrenocorticotropin secretion from the corticotrophs of the anterior pituitary gland but also of peptide secretion from the intermediate lobe. Such data suggest that melanocyte-stimulating hormone and beta-endorphin play a role in the physiological response to stress.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D002369:Castration; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D009074:Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormones; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone