Release of high molecular weight forms of met 5-enkephalin-arg 6-gly 7-leu 8 from rat brain

Abstract

The release of various molecular weight forms of met 5-enk-arg 6-gly 7-leu 8 (MERGL) from slices prepared from rat medulla-pons and hypothalamus was studied. The release of MERGL-IR from both medulla-pons and hypothalamic slices was elevated four- to ten-fold in response to potassium depolarization. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that in both tissues, substantial quantities of 8 to 10 kilodalton MERGL-IR peptide(s), as well as MERGL itself, were released in response to stimulation with 50 mM K +.