title: Intermedin/adrenomedullin-2 acts within central nervous system to elevate blood pressure and inhibit food and water intake.
abstract: Intermedin (IMD)/adrenomedullin-2 (AM2) is a novel peptide that was independently discovered by two groups. The 47-amino acid peptide is homologous to adrenomedullin (AM) and can activate both the AM and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors. IMD should therefore have actions similar to those of AM and CGRP. Indeed, like AM and CGRP, intravenous administration of IMD decreased blood pressure in rats and mice. We demonstrate here that immunoreactive IMD is present in plasma as well as heart, lung, stomach, kidney, pituitary, and brain. Because IMD is present in brain and both AM and CGRP have potent central nervous system (CNS) effects, we examined the ability of IMD within brain to regulate blood pressure and ingestive behaviors. Administration of IMD into the lateral cerebroventricle of rats caused significant, long-lasting elevations in mean arterial pressure and heart rate. These elevations are similar to the effects of CGRP and significantly greater than the effects of AM. IMD-induced elevations in mean arterial pressure were inhibited by intravenous administration of phentolamine, indicating that IMD activates the sympathetic nervous system. Intracerebroventricular administration of IMD also inhibited food and water intake in sated and in food- and water-restricted animals. The effects on feeding are likely related to activation of the CGRP receptor and are independent of the effects on water intake, which are likely through the AM receptor. Our data indicate that IMD has potent actions within the CNS that may be a result of the combined activation of both AM and CGRP receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science, Saint Louis University, 1402 South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. taylormm@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Meghan M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Sara L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bagley
authors.forename: Willis K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Samson
mesh_terms: D053607:Adrenomedullin; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018003:Receptors, Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism; D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C499411:Adm2 protein, rat; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D009479:Neuropeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D018003:Receptors, Calcitonin; D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; C058636:calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37); D053607:Adrenomedullin; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide