Measurement of biological activity of somatotropin in hypophysectomized rats

目的：建立测定生长激素（ＧＨ）在体生物活性的方法．方法：以去垂体大鼠体重增长（ＢＷＧ）和胫骨骺软骨板宽度（ＴＥＷ）为指标，观察动物性别、给药途径、次数和周期不同对效应的影响；同时进行４ｄＢＷＧ，６ｄＢＷＧ和６ｄＴＥＷ法，测定ＧＨ的效价（平行线３×３设计）．结果：♀和♂ｓｃ和ｉｍ给药以及每日给药１次和２次的ＢＷＧ和ＴＥＷ差异无显著意义．给药６ｄ比给药４ｄ引起较大的ＢＷＧ和ＴＥＷ（Ｐ＜００５）．４ｄＢＷＧ法和６ｄＢＷＧ法在００２０－０５００ＩＵ·ｄ－１有较好的λ值（００６６０和０１７４７）和ｒ值（０９０００和０９２３７）；４ｄＢＷＧ，６ｄＢＷＧ和６ｄＴＥＷ法测得ｒｈＧＨ的效价为４６１３２，３９８２９和４８０２３ＩＵ／ａｍｐ．６ｄＢＷＧ法有较小的λ值和较低的ＡＲＦＬ值．结论：可在同一组去垂体大鼠体内同时用４ｄＢＷＧ，６ｄＢＷＧ和６ｄＴＥＷ法测ＧＨ活性，以６ｄＢＷＧ法较好．     

Inhibitory effect of plasma obtained from hypophysectomized and control women on the assay of bioactive luteinizing hormone

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of components of female plasma on the value of bioactive luteinizing hormone (LH), especially in the presence of low immunological LH value. Using both an immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) and rat Leydig cell bioassay, immunoreactive (I) and bioactive (B) LH were assessed in plasma collected from women during a gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) test performed on day 7 of a spontaneous cycle. Two modes of response to an acute administration of GnRH were defined: normal production of gonadotrophins (group I) and excessive secretion (group II) associated with a significant difference in the B/I-LH ratio between the two groups. The B/I-LH ratio did not vary with sampling time during the test in either group. The addition of LH-free plasma collected from hypophysectomized women caused a 30% decrease in testosterone production compared to control values (in the presence or absence of hLH standard). A partial restoration of testosterone production was observed if plasma was first treated with PEG 12%. The inhibitory factor(s) was also present in plasma from ovulatory women, even after treatment by an antibody against the entire LH molecule. The effect of normal (A) or low I-LH plasma (B) on testosterone production varied strongly according to the plasma volume added to the bioassay, as well as to plasma treatments. Diethylether treatment caused a 50% decrease in testosterone secretion for plasma B (but not for A) whereas a diminution of the steroidogenesis is observed after a PEG treatment of plasma A (but not for B), suggesting that different inhibitory factors are present in plasmas A and B. Therefore the LH bioactivity measured in the rat Leydig cell assay, in terms of testosterone output, seems to represent a balance between the LH molecule and the presence of inhibitory factors in the plasma.     

Response of testicular macrophages to EDS-induced Leydig cell death

Summary.  The response of testicular macrophages to massive Leydig cell death was studied by the administration of the specific Leydig cell cytotoxic ethylene dimethane sulphonate (EDS) to sham-operated (SO), short-term (STHX), and long-term (LTHX) hypophysectomized rats. EDS-killed Leydig cells showed the morphological features of the programmed cell death or apoptosis. A 2-fold increase in the number of macrophages was found on days 1–2 after treatment in both SO and STHX rats, and dead Leydig cells were completely eliminated by day 3 after treatment. Otherwise, in LTHX rats, there was a delay in the increase in the number of macrophages, and EDS-killed Leydig cells remained in the testicular interstitium for several days. These results indicate that the phagocytic capacity of the macrophage population was diminished in hypophysectomized rats, and particularly after long-term hypophysectomy.     

Role of growth hormone in regulation of polynucleotide-phosphorylase activity in rat liver

Hypophysectomy in rats is followed by a significant increase in polynucleotide-phosphorylase (PNPase) activity in ribosomal fractions of the liver. Injection of growth hormone into hypophysectomized animals leads to inhibition of PNPase activity. Within the dose range from 5 to 100 g the dose—effect curve is linear. The action of growth hormone is most marked 18h after a single injection.Laboratory of Enzymology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, and Laboratory of Biological Standardization of Hormones, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology and Hormone Chemistry, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 89, No. 2, pp. 162–163, February, 1980.     

Immunocytochemical localization of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the rat spinal cord

The presence of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-immunoreactive nerve fibers and cell bodies in the spinal cord is demonstrated. Immunopositive fibers were found in the lateral column of the white matter, in laminae I, V–IV, X, and in the intermediolateral column of the spinal cord. Complete transection of the spinal cord showed that the majority of the fibers in the lateral funiculus formed an ascending pathway; however, a few descending fibers were also detected. Hypophysectomy resulted in enhanced immunoreactivity to the fibers and staining of CRF-immunoreactive cell bodies in laminae V–VII, X, and in the intermediolateral sympathetic column. The results suggest that CRF is not merely an ACTH releasing factor, but also a regulatory peptide which may be involved in several stress-related neural responses.     

Regulation of galanin-like peptide gene expression by pituitary hormones and their downstream targets

Galanin-like peptide (GALP) mRNA is expressed in neurones of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus and within pituicytes in the neurohypophysis. Several neuropeptides that are expressed in the arcuate nucleus participate in the neuroendocrine regulation of pituitary hormone secretion. Our objective was to determine the extent to which GALP might be a target for regulation by pituitary hormones or their downstream targets in the rat. The expression of GALP mRNA in the arcuate nucleus was reduced by hypophysectomy as determined by in situ hybridization. However, this did not appear to be attributable to the loss of either gonadal or adrenal steroids because castrated, ovariectomized and adrenalectomized rats had GALP mRNA expression that was indistinguishable from their respective controls. Next, we investigated the effects of growth hormone deficiency on GALP mRNA expression by studying dwarf rats and found that GALP gene expression was not different between dwarf rats and controls. We found that thyroidectomy led to a significant reduction in GALP mRNA expression compared to intact controls, and thyroidectomized rats implanted with thyroxine pellets had GALP mRNA expression that was similar to intact controls. Thus, the reduction of GALP mRNA expression seen in hypophysectomized animals may reflect, in part, a selective loss of thyroid hormone. We also found that the expression of GALP mRNA was increased in the neurohypophysis of lactating rats compared to nonlactating rats, whereas GALP mRNA expression in the arcuate nucleus was unaffected by lactation. This suggests that the induction of GALP gene expression in pituicytes is physiologically associated with activation of oxytocin and vasopressin secretion during lactation.     

Invasive v non-invasive assessment of the carotid arteries prior to trans-sphenoidal surgery

Summary Imaging studies in 47 patients who were to undergo trans-sphenoidal surgery were analysed with reference to the vascular structures in the parasellar region. The results of cavernous sinography, dynamic contrast enhanced Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed good correlation with each other and with the appearances found at operation. CT and MRI, both non-invasive investigations, are therefore reliable preliminary screening methods for identifying the small proportion of patients on whom other imaging techniques need to be performed.     

Release of Atrial Natriuretic Factor from Intact and Hypophysectomized Rat Hypothalamic Expiants

Experiments examined release of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), measured by radioimmunoassay, from acutely prepared explants of rat hypothalamus maintained in vitro by intra-arterial perfusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Perfusates collected from intact preparations contained 6.1 ± 0.6 pg (mean ± SEM) of ANF per 2-min sample. Following a 3-min infusion of noradrenaline (60 μM), ANF release increased significantly (P<0.05) to 11.4±1.4 pg/sample. Media collected from hypophysectomized preparations showed the same basal ANF release (6.8 ± 0.9 pg/sample) as intact preparations, but demonstrated no significant increase after noradrenaline infusions. Levels of spontaneous ANF release were not appreciably affected by the absence of the paraventricular nuclei and/or the anteroventral third ventricle area.
Extracted material from the perfusate by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography revealed two main peaks of immunoreactive ANF: a small molecular weight form that coeluted with synthetic ANF (99–126) and with similar biological activity in a radioreceptor assay, and a larger molecular weight form with the same elution profile as the ANF (1–126) prohormone.
These observations indicate that the ANF released from perfused rat hypothalamic explants contains distinct contributions from the hypothalamus (sites undetermined) and the neurointermediate lobe.     

Effects of hypophysectomy and growth hormone on cultured islets of Langerhans of the rat

Summary The effects on islet function of addition to the culture medium of rat growth hormone was studied in 4-day cultured islets of Langerhans from normal and hypophysectomised rats. In islets from hypophysectomised rats, rates of insulin release were 34% lower than in control rat islets; rates of insulin plus proinsulin and total protein biosynthesis were also lower by 48% and 16% respectively. The rates of glucose oxidation and the islet content of cyclic AMP were unchanged in islets from hypophysectomised rats but the islet content of calmodulin was decreased by 68%. The presence of rat growth hormone during the culture period restored the secretory response of hypophysectomised rat islets to that seen in control islets cultured without growth hormone but had only a marginal effect on the rate of insulin plus proinsulin biosynthesis, and no significant effect on islet calmodulin content. Glucose oxidation was increased by the presence of growth hormone during the culture period in both control (73% increase) and hypophysectomised (38% increase) rat islets. Addition of growth hormone to the culture medium also enhanced rates of insulin release and biosynthesis in control islets by 116% and 20% respectively. It is suggested that these changes arise primarily from modification of the synthesis of specific islet proteins.