Increase in bombesin-like peptides in the spinal cord after dexamethasone treatment of adrenalectomized rats.
The potential influence of corticosteroids on the bombesin (BN)-like peptide family is unknown. Therefore, the effects of adrenalectomy (ADX) on the nervous system of Sprague-Dawley rats, some of them being treated with high doses of the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX), were investigated. After 8-10 days of treatment, the rats were sacrificed and tissues were prepared for radioimmunoassay (RIA) and immunohistochemical examination. We found an increase in BN-like immunoreactivity in the superficial layers of the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord in the ADX + DEX animals. This increase was confirmed by RIA (P < 0.05). The observations show that the expression of BN-like peptides is influenced by glucocorticoids. The altered levels of BN-like peptides may be related to the trophic and antinociceptive effects previously reported for these peptides.
Westermark
T
T
Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Sweden.
Isaksson
T
T
Holmberg
P
P
Kjörell
U
U
Rantapää-Dahlqvist
S
S
Forsgren
S
S
D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D001839:Bombesin / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D001839:Bombesin