Single administration of interleukin-1 increased corticotropin releasing hormone and corticotropin releasing hormone-receptor mRNA in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus which paralleled long-lasting (weeks) sensitization to emotional stressors.
Single exposure to the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 induces sensitization of the adrenocorticotropin hormone and corticosterone responses to stressors weeks later (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal sensitization). Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal responses are controlled by corticotropin-releasing hormone and arginine-vasopressin secreted from parvocellular corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and may involve autoexcitatory feedback mechanisms. Therefore, we studied the temporal relationship between resting levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, corticotropin-releasing hormone-R1 and arginine-vasopressin receptor (V1a, V1b) mRNAs in the paraventricular nucleus and the development of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal sensitization to an emotional stressor (novelty). The adrenocorticotropin hormone precursor molecule proopiomelanocortin hnRNA in the pituitary gland served as an index for acute activation. Single administration of interleukin-1 induced sensitization of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal to novelty from 3 to 22 days later, but not after 42 days. Single administration of interleukin-1 induced biphasic increases in corticotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone-R1 mRNAs in the paraventricular nucleus: an early peak within 24 h, followed by a delayed (>7 days) increase that peaked after 22 days. Hypothalamic V1a and V1b mRNA levels were unaffected. In contrast, in the pituitary gland, there was an early decrease in corticotropin-releasing hormone-R1 mRNA (from 10.5 to 3 h after interleukin-1) and V1b receptor mRNA (3 to 6 h), which returned to control levels from 24 h onwards. Thus, interleukin-1-induced long-lasting hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal sensitizations associated with prolonged activation of corticotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone-R1 mRNA expression in the paraventricular nucleus, but not with changes in the expression of proopiomelanocortin hnRNA or V1b receptor or corticotropin-releasing hormone R1 mRNAs in the pituitary gland. We propose that transient exposure to immune events can induce long-lasting hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal sensitization, which at least in part involves long-term hypothalamic adaptations that enhance central corticotropin-releasing hormone signaling.
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Graduate School Neurosciences Amsterdam, Research Institute Neurosciences Vrije Universiteit, Medical Pharmacology, VUmc, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam 10 81 BT, The Netherlands. ed.schmidt.pharm@med.vu.nl
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D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018019:Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D017483:Receptors, Vasopressin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone