title: In vivo corticotropin-releasing factor-induced secretion of adrenocorticotropin, beta-endorphin, and corticosterone.
abstract: A 41-residue peptide purified as a corticotropin-releasing factor/beta-endorphin-releasing factor (CRF) in vitro was tested for its ability to stimulate the secretion of ACTH, beta-endorphin, and corticosterone in three animal groups: 1) unanesthesized rats bearing indwelling venous cannulae, 2) rats pretreated with chloropromazine plus morphine sulfate plus pentobarbital (CPZ-MS-Nb, and 3) rats with hypothalamic deafferentiations in the frontal and lateral retrochiasmatic areas. In all three bioassays iv administration of 0.1-10 micrograms CRF elicited a dose-related increase in plasma ACTH and beta-endorphin values over a 5- to 15-min period. Corticosterone secretion was also elevated but responded maximally with all doses of CRF tested. Pretreatment of CPZ-MS-Nb animals with 20 micrograms dexamethasone 4 h before assay abolished the CRF-induced hormone secretion. These data suggest that CRF may play a physiological role in the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004723:Endorphins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone