Abstract
Corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type 1 (CRH-R1) expression and vasopressin type 1b (V1b) receptor protein decrease in late-gestation fetal sheep. Because hypothalamo-pituitary disconnection (HPD) has been demonstrated to prevent the morphological maturation of corticotrophs, we hypothesized that hypothalamic input is necessary for the maturational changes in CRH-R1 and V1b receptor levels. We measured CRH-R1 and V1b receptor expression in the anterior pituitaries of fetuses at 140 days gestational age (dGA) that underwent HPD or sham surgery at 120 dGA. CRH-R1 mRNA decreased similarly in HPD and sham-operated fetuses compared with 120 dGA naive fetuses. However, CRH-R1 protein levels were elevated in HPD fetuses compared with sham and were not different from 120 dGA values. V1b protein levels decreased similarly in HPD and sham-operated fetuses compared with 120 dGA naive fetuses. We conclude that hypothalamic input to the pituitary is necessary for the decrease in CRH-R1 receptor protein levels in late-gestation fetal sheep. However, hypothalamic input is not necessary for the decrease in V1b receptor expression seen in late gestation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
