title: Neuromedin-U stimulates enucleation-induced adrenocortical regeneration in the rat.
abstract: Neuromedin-U (NMU) is a brain-gut peptide, which has been previously found to stimulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the rat. Enucleation-induced adrenal regeneration in rats with contralateral adrenalectomy is a well-established model of adrenal growth, that not only depends on the compensatory ACTH hypersecretion, but is also modulated by several regulatory peptides. Hence, we investigated whether NMU may be included in this group of bioactive molecules. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry showed that regenerating rat adrenocortical cells at days 5 and 8 after surgery express the NMU receptor NMUR1 as mRNA and protein. NMU8 administration to rats bearing regenerating adrenals markedly raised the plasma concentration of corticosterone and notably enhanced proliferative activity of adrenocortical cells. ACTH blood level was unchanged at day 5 and significantly decreased at day 8. The conclusion is drawn that NMU stimulates regeneration of rat adrenal cortex, via a mechanism independent of pituitary ACTH and involving the activation of NMUR1 located on adrenocortical cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Science, PL-60781 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trejter
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Neri
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rucinski
authors.forename: Mariola
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Majchrzak
authors.forename: Gastone G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
authors.forename: Ludwik K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Malendowicz
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017981:Receptors, Neurotransmitter; C082444:neuromedin U receptor; C056900:neuromedin U; D000450:Aldosterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; C046270:neuromedin U 8; D003345:Corticosterone