Effect of central urocortin on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats.
The effect of intracisternal injection of urocortin, an endogenous ligand for corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) 2 receptor, on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury was investigated in rats. Intracisternal injection of urocortin dose-dependently enhanced elevation of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels induced by CCl4. Intracisternal urocortin also aggravated CCl4-induced histological changes of the liver. The aggravating effect of central urocortin on CCl4-induced acute liver injury was abolished by chemical sympathectomy, but not by vagotomy. These data demonstrate that urocortin acts in the brain to exacerbate acute liver injury through the sympathetic nervous system and suggest a possible involvement of the CRF2 receptor in the central CRF-induced exacerbation of acute liver injury in rats.
Yokohama
S
S
Second Department of Medicine and Surgery, Asahikawa Medical College, Asahikawa, Japan.
Yoneda
M
M
Watanobe
H
H
Kono
T
T
Nakamura
K
K
Makino
I
I
Terano
A
A
D000208:Acute Disease; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D054832:Urocortins; D014628:Vagotomy
C101531:CRF receptor type 2; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D054832:Urocortins; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase