Tumor necrosis factor alpha differentially regulates beta-endorphin concentrations and proopiomelanocortin RNA in the anterior and neurointermediate pituitary in vivo.
We analyzed the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on beta-endorphin concentrations and proopiomelanocortin mRNA in the rat anterior and neurointermediate pituitaries. The intraperitoneal injection of 5 micrograms/kg TNF-alpha decreases beta-endorphin in neurointermediate pituicytes 4, 8 and 24 h after the treatment without affecting proopiomelanocortin (POMC) RNA. In contrast, in the anterior pituitary 4 h after the injection of the cytokine, POMC RNA was decreased while the peptide content was increased. These effects can be relevant to the modulation of the pituitary-adrenal axis and immune responses in conditions, such as infections, in which TNF levels are increased.
Sacerdote
P
P
Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Milano, Italy.
Brini
A T
AT
Locatelli
L
L
Radulovic
J
J
Panerai
A E
AE
D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin