title: Involvement of endogenous corticotropin-releasing factor in mediation of neuroendocrine and behavioral effects to alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
abstract: The present work was to study if the alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) was involved in activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis (PAA) in rats. The hormone increased plasma corticosterone (CORT) level, and induced an anxiogenic response as indicated by results from the elevated plus-maze test. Intracerebroventricular administration of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antiserum (1:10, 1:20 and 1:100 dilutions in 1microl volume), overcame both the anxiogenic response and the PAA activating effect induced by alpha-MSH (50 microg s.c.) in a concentration-dependent manner. CRF antibody at the doses applied did not modify either the elevated plus-maze responses or CORT level by itself. Our results reveal that both the anxiogenic and the PAA activating effects of alpha-MSH are mediated by CRF.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacodynamics and Biopharmacy, Medical School, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vecsernyés
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biró
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Julesz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Telegdy
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007106:Immune Sera; D000521:alpha-MSH; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone