title: Effects of neuropeptides B and W on the secretion and growth of rat adrenocortical cells.
abstract: Neuropeptide-B (NPB) and neuropeptide-W (NPW) are recently discovered endogenous ligands of the GPR7- and GPR8-receptors (R), which in humans are expressed in the hypothalamus and probably involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis and neuroendocrine axes. GPR8-Rs are absent in rodents, where the GPR8-like-R has been described. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction detected the expression of NPB, NPW, GPR7-R and GPR8-like-R mRNAs in rat adrenocortical cells (both freshly-dispersed and 4-day-cultured cells). NPB did not acutely (60-min exposure) alter basal aldosterone secretion from freshly dispersed zona glomerulosa cells, while NPW raised it. Both NPB and NPW enhanced ACTH-stimulated aldosterone secretion and did not affect either basal or ACTH-stimulated corticosterone production by dispersed zona fasciculata/reticularis (ZF/R) cells. The prolonged (4-day) exposure to NPW, but not NPB, raised corticosterone secretion from cultured ZF/R cells, and both neuropeptides increased the proliferation rate of cultured cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that NPB and NPW affect rat adrenocortical function, so they may be included in that large family of peptides involved in the autocrine-paracrine stimulation of secretion and growth of adrenal cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, PL-60781 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hochol
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Albertin
authors.forename: Gastone G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spinazzi
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ziolkowska
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rucinski
authors.forename: Ludwik K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Malendowicz
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015383:Zona Fasciculata / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015384:Zona Glomerulosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C467731:NPW protein, human; D009479:Neuropeptides; C495188:neuropeptide B