title: Growth hormone-releasing hormone immunoreactivity in mouse placenta, maternal blood, and amniotic fluid: molecular characterization and secretion from primary cell cultures in vitro.
abstract: The GH-releasing hormone (GRH) gene, along with those of many other hypothalamic hormones, is abundantly expressed in mouse and rat placenta. The presence of GRH immunoreactivity (GRH-IR) is described in mouse placenta, maternal blood, and amniotic fluid, and its molecular form has been characterized using HPLC. Two different molecular forms of mouse GRH-IR (mGRH-IR) were detected in the mouse hypothalamus and one in placenta. Twenty-five percent of mGRH-IR in the hypothalamus corresponded to mGRH(1-42)OH, whereas the remainder, and all of the mGRH-IR in placenta, had a retention time consistent with the GRH precursor. High levels of mGRH-IR were detected in both maternal plasma and amniotic fluid. In addition, a mouse placental cell primary culture system was established to study the regulation of mGRH-IR release. Turnover of mGRH in placental cells was rapid, resulting in a 24-h media content of 10 times that present in cells. Both 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol and 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycerol significantly stimulated the release of mGRH-IR from cultured placental cells into the incubation media but had no effect on total peptide synthesis. These results suggest that the release of mGRH-IR from placental cells is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of protein kinase C. The HPLC elution profiles of mGRH-IR released from placental cells under basal and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol-stimulated conditions were similar to those in placental tissue. Although the biological function of mGRH-IR in placental, maternal plasma, and amniotic fluid is not yet clear, the presence of mGRH-IR in these tissues and circulating fluids suggests the possibility that mGRH-IR may exert an important role in both fetal and maternal physiology.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Ohio 45267.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mizobuchi
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Downs
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Frohman
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000494:pharmacology; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D010920:Placenta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; D004075:Diglycerides; C044295:1,2-dioctanoylglycerol; C038237:1-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases