ACTH-stimulated Secretion Research Articles

Effects of corticotropin-releasing factor and other materials on adrenocorticotropin secretion from pituitary glands of patients with Cushing's disease in vitro.

ACTH responsiveness in vitro to synthetic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), lysine-8-vasopressin, and cAMP was examined using superfusion of pituitary adenoma tissue and the nonadenomatous tissue from 16 patients with Cushing's disease. Sensitivity of adenomas to lysine-8-vasopressin and cAMP was similar to that of nonadenomatous tissues; however, sensitivity of adenomas to CRF was lower than that of nonadenomatous tissues in 7 of 16 patients. CRF-induced ACTH secretion from adenomas was inhibited by Ca2+-free medium in all instances and by dexamethasone and somatostatin in some. Angiotensins I and II stimulated ACTH secretion from both adenomas and nonadenomatous tissues, while angiotensin I-induced ACTH secretion was inhibited by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. These results suggest that the sensitivity of the pituitary corticotroph adenomas to CRF in some patients is low. This may be due to an abnormality of the step(s) before cAMP formation, such as the CRF receptor.

Further characterization of corticotrophin releasing factor activity from a bronchial tumour.

The nature of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) activity secreted by a human bronchial carcinoid cell line was investigated. The CRF activity in incubation media exposed to bronchial tumour cells was concentrated by preparative high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Analytical HPLC resolved the CRF activity into several different forms. The incorporation of [3H]leucine and other [3H]amino acids into materials which co-eluted with CRF activity when fractionated by analytical HPLC suggested that the bronchial carcinoid cells were secreting peptide CRF(s). The most abundant radioactive material was shown to have a molecular weight of 12 000 by sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophoresis. This radioactive fraction also stimulated ACTH secretion by rat pituitary cell cultures in a dose-responsive manner.

Synergistic interaction of corticotropin releasing factor and arginine vasopressin on adrenocorticotropin and cortisol secretion in Macaca fuscata.

Plasma immunoreactive CRF measured by radioimmunoassay decreased rapidly after intravenous injection of synthetic ovine corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and showed a bi-exponential decay curve in five macaca fuscatas. Half lives of plasma immunoreactive CRF were 5.8 +/- 1.4 (Mean +/- SEM) min for the fast component and 38.3 +/- 2.4 min for the slow component. A bolus injection of 5 micrograms/kg CRF significantly increased the plasma cortisol level. CRF at 5 micrograms/kg induced a delayed response of ACTH and cortisol. Arginine vasopressin (AVP) at 0.5 micrograms/kg induced a slight increase in plasma ACTH and cortisol, but AVP at 0.1 micrograms/kg evoked no significant increase. When 0.5 micrograms/kg CRF and 0.1 micrograms/kg AVP were administered simultaneously, significant ACTH and cortisol responses occurred. The results indicate that CRF and AVP act synergistically to stimulate ACTH secretion in vivo.

Forskolin stimulates adenylate cyclase activity, cyclic AMP accumulation, and adrenocorticotropin secretion from mouse anterior pituitary tumor cells.

The effects of forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator, were investigated on adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion from AtT-20/ D16 -16 mouse pituitary tumor cells. Forskolin increased adenylate cyclase activity in these cells in the absence of added guanyl nucleotide, an effect blocked by somatostatin. Cyclic AMP synthesis and ACTH secretion increased in a concentration-dependent manner, not only in the clonal cells, but in primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary as well. Somatostatin inhibited cyclic AMP synthesis and ACTH secretion in response to forskolin. When forskolin was coapplied with corticotropin releasing factor, cyclic AMP synthesis was potentiated and ACTH secretion additive. The calcium channel blocker, nifedipine, inhibited forskolin, and 8-bromocyclic AMP stimulated ACTH secretion. These data suggest that ACTH secretion may be regulated at the molecular level by changes in cyclic AMP formation, which in turn regulate a calcium gating mechanism.

The effects of smoking on acth and cortisol secretion

The relationships among changes in plasma nicotine, ACTH, and cortisol secretion after smoking were investigated. Ten male subjects smoked cigarettes containing 2.87 mg nicotine and 0.48 mg nicotine. No rises in cortisol or ACTH were detected after smoking 0.48 mg nicotine cigarettes. Cortisol rises were significant in 11 of 15 instances after smoking 2.87 mg nicotine cigarettes, but ACTH rose significantly in only 5 of the 11 instances where cortisol increased. Each ACTH rise occurred in a subject who reported nausea and was observed to be pale, sweaty, and tachycardic. Peak plasma nicotine concentrations were not significantly different in sessions when cortisol rose with or without ACTH increases, but cortisol increases were significantly greater in nauseated than in non-nauseated smokers. Our data suggest that smoking-induced nausea stimulates cortisol release by stimulating ACTH secretion and that cortisol secretion in non-nauseated smokers may occur through a non-ACTH mechanism. It is not clear whether nicotine or some other stimulus inherent in smoking is responsible for cortisol secretion without ACTH secretion.

Hemorrhage-induced secretion of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity into the rat hypophysial portal circulation and its inhibition by glucocorticoids.

A paradigm for reliably stimulating ACTH secretion in urethane-anesthetized male rats has been used to examine hypothalamic secretion of corticotropin-releasing factor-like immunoreactivity (CRF-LI) into the hypophysial portal circulation. Hemorrhage of 15% estimated blood volume evoked a maximal 4.6-fold elevation in circulating ACTH levels from an initial level of 178.4 +/- 51.2 (+/-se) to 814.7 +/- 184.6 pg ml-1. The cumulative amount of ACTH secreted in response to hemorrhage was 10-fold greater than the cumulative amount of ACTH secreted by nonhemorrhaged rats (unweighted cumulative effect over all time points). In another experiment from a similarly hemorrhaged group, the hypophysial portal plasma CRF-LI concentration rose 2-fold from an initial level of 429.7 +/- 34.2 to 839.3 +/- 170.4 pg ml-1. Pretreatment with dexamethasone (100 microgram/kg BW, im) had no effect on initial levels of either CRF-LI or ACTH. The hemorrhage-induced elevations of both CRF-LI and ACTH were abolished in dexamethasone-treated rats. The secretory rate of CRF-LI was calculated to be 1.61 +/- 0.7 pg min-1 in nonhemorrhaged animals. Reversible pharmacological hyperpolarization of the paraventricular nuclei by stereotaxically microinjected procaine (15 micrograms/100 nl) reduced portal plasma CRF-LI and peripheral plasma ACTH to undetectable levels. These observations led to the following conclusions: 1) CRF-LI is an important hypothalamic regulator of adenohypophysial ACTH secretion, 2) CRF-LI in the hypophysial portal circulation is derived from CRF-LI-containing neurons within the paraventricular nuclei, and 3) glucocorticoid negative feedback effects can be exerted at the central level.

Pituitary receptors for corticotropin-releasing factor: no effect of vasopressin on binding or activation of adenylate cyclase.

In this study we have characterized binding sites for ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (oCRF) in the rat anterior pituitary gland, and have investigated whether the site of interaction of vasopressin and oCRF is at the plasma membrane level. The binding 125I-oCRF to anterior pituitary membranes was shown to be dependent on temperature, pH and cation concentration. Magnesium was essential for the binding reaction to take place. Two binding sites of Kd 7.63 X 10(-10) and 3.39 X 10(-8) M were found. Activity of adenylate cyclase in the membrane preparation increased in the presence of oCRF. The activity of the enzyme as well as the binding of 125I-oCRF was found to be influenced by guanosine-5'-triphosphate. Several hypothalamic neurohormones, including vasopressin, failed to alter the binding of 125I-oCRF to anterior pituitary membranes. Moreover, vasopressin failed to influence the stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity induced by oCRF. Preincubation of anterior pituitary segments with oCRF desensitized the corticotropin (ACTH) response to oCRF and decreased the amount of 125I-oCRF bound to membranes prepared from similarly treated pituitaries. The ACTH response to vasopressin remained unchanged. Following a preincubation of anterior pituitary segments with vasopressin, oCRF stimulated ACTH secretion, as well as the binding of 125I-oCRF to pituitary membranes was normal, while the ACTH response to vasopressin was markedly reduced. These results show that separate receptors mediate the action of vasopressin and oCRF. Moreover, the ACTH response to vasopressin and oCRF may be modulated separately.

Relationships among adrenal weight, corticosterone, and stimulated adrenocorticotropin levels in rats.

Based on results of previous studies, we tested the hypothesis that increased adrenal weight in the absence of increased corticosterone secretion would inhibit the magnitude of the ACTH response to ether vapor. Adrenal hypertrophy was induced by treatment of rats for 3 days with aminoglutethimide, cyanoketone, or metyrapone, three agents that act to inhibit enzymes required for corticosterone synthesis. On the fourth day, resting plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels were normal; however, the logarithm of the ACTH response to ether was directly related to total adrenal weight. This result did not support the hypothesis. Unilateral adrenalectomy and treatment with cyanoketone resulted in total adrenal weight equivalent to that of control rats bearing two adrenals. Resting ACTH levels were normal, but stimulated ACTH was significantly greater in these rats than in controls or in rats with two adrenals, suggesting that there is an interaction between the effects of unilateral adrenalectomy and adrenal enzyme inhibition. As anticipated, adrenal hypertrophy with increased corticosterone production caused by ACTH infusion resulted in a significant negative relationship between resting and stimulated ACTH levels and adrenal weight. We conclude that when adrenals are enlarged by means that prevent excessive corticosterone secretion, there is a mechanism associated with the increase in adrenal weight that correlates directly with the magnitude of stimulated ACTH secretion. We have reexamined the results of our previous results in the light of these experiments.

ACTH secretion in mouse pituitary tumor cells in culture: Inhibition of CRF-stimulated hormone release by somatostatin

Synthetic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) stimulates ACTH secretion in the clonal mouse pituitary cell strain AtT20/D16v (D16) in a dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal effect at 2×10 −9M. A single dose of 5×10 −9M CRF maximally stimulates the rate of ACTH secretion during the initial two hrs of treatment. During the period of maximal CRF stimulation intracellular hormone concentration declines progressively to a nadir at 4 hrs. During the ensuing 24 hrs of incubation intracellular hormone levels in CRF-stimulated cells increase gradually toward control values. Somatostatin (SRIF) inhibits the secretory response to CRF. This action of SRIF is dose-dependent with a half-maximal effect at 1×10 −9M and results in decreased maximal ACTH secretion with little effect on the ED 50 for CRF.

Direct stimulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptors in rat anterior pituitary induces the release of adrenocorticotropin in vivo.

Previous work in our laboratory has shown that stimulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptors on mouse anterior pituitary tumor cells causes the secretion of immunoreactive adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that catecholamines can cause the release of ACTH in vivo by the direct stimulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptors in the rat anterior pituitary. Systemic administration of a beta-adrenergic receptor agonist (-)-isoproterenol resulted in an increase in plasma ACTH levels in intact animals and in rats with transected pituitary stalks. This effect could be blocked by the beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol, but not by the specific beta 1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, practolol. Salmefamol, a beta 2-adrenergic receptor agonist also elevated plasma ACTH levels in stalk-sectioned animals. Dexamethasone, a glucocorticoid that inhibits the synthesis and release of ACTH from the anterior pituitary but not the intermediate lobe, prevented the elevation of ACTH secretion by (-)-isoproterenol in stalk-transected rats. These data indicate that beta 2-adrenergic receptors are present on anterior pituitary cells and suggest that catecholamines can directly stimulate ACTH secretion.

Adrenocorticotropin secretion by mouse pituitary tumor cells in culture: the role of Ca+2 in stimulated and somatostatin-inhibited secretion.

SRIF inhibits ACTH secretion by AtT20/D16v (D16) mouse pituitary cells stimulated by high (50 mM) extracellular concentrations of K+ or by divalent cation ionophores. Although stimulation of ACTH secretion by K+ requires extracellular Ca+2, the response is invariant over medium Ca+2 concentrations of 0.003-1 mM; with Ca+2 concentrations from 1-5 mM there is a dramatic amplification of the secretory response. SRIF at concentrations of 10(-8) M completely inhibits the secretory response to K+ at Ca+2 concentrations between 0.2 and 1 mM; with increasing medium Ca+2 above 1 mM there is a progressive attenuation of SRIF-inhibition. At concentrations of 5 mM, Ca+2 alone can serve as an ACTH secretagogue. The ionophore ionomycin stimulates ACTH secretion in a Ca+2-dependent manner with a half-maximal effect at 5 X 10(-6) M ionomycin. The secretory response to ionomycin and to X537A is inhibited by at least 50% by SRIF. The secretory response to K+ is accompanied by a rapid and sustained increase in 45Ca+2 uptake, whereas the ionophores ionomycin, X537A, and A23187 increase Ca+2 efflux. SRIF does not affect Ca+2 movement across D16 cell membranes in response to either K+ or ionophores. These results show that an increase in intracellular Ca+2 is an effective stimulus to ACTH secretion by D16 cells and inhibition of ACTH secretion by SRIF is not effected by interference with the stimulus-elicited increase in intracellular Ca+2.

Pituitary-adrenocortical system in patients with Shy-Drager syndrome.

We examined ACTH responses to the three main mechanisms of ACTH secretion, i.e., stress, negative feedback and circadian rhythm, in six patients with Shy-Drager syndrome and in six control subjects to determine whether or not injury to the central autonomic nervous system provokes some disturbances in ACTH secretion. The patients showed a poor cortisol response to the stress of insulin induced hypoglycemia along with a normal ACTH and urinary 17-OHCS response to metyrapone and a normal cortisol circadian rhythm. The discrepancy between the above-mentioned functional tests of ACTH secretion is rare to our knowledge. These findings suggested the existence of a glucoreceptor defect in such patients, or the possibility that the stress of insulin induced hypoglycemia stimulates ACTH secretion by way of the autonomic nervous system.

In vitro and in vivo ACTH-releasing activity of ovine CRF, sauvagine and urotensin I.

The ability of three homologous peptides, ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), sauvagine and urotensin I, to release ACTH was examined in vitro and in vivo. All three peptides exhibit statistically equivalent potencies to stimulate ACTH secretion both by cultured pituitary cells and in pharmacology blocked rats. These results suggest that all three peptides evolved from a common mammalian precursor that possessed high hypophysiotropic potency.

Corticotropin-releasing factor.

IN 1948 Geoffrey Harris (1) hypothesized that stress-induced activation of the central nervous system is transduced from a neural into a humoral signal in the hypothalamus. Resultant chemical transmitter substances elaborated are transported to the adenohypophysis via the hypophyseal portal circulation to stimulate the secretion of ACTH from the corticotrophs. Despite intensive studies by many investigators throughout the world in the intervening years, identification of this putative neurotransmitter has been extremely difficult. Slusher and Roberts (2) were the first to describe ACTH-releasing activity in a hypothalamic extract. Unfortunately, the assay using intact, untreated rats employed in their experiments was inadequately refined (2, 3) since such animals will secrete ACTH in response to a variety of nonspecific stresses. In 1955 more specific experimental evidence for the existence of a brain extract that stimulated ACTH secretion was independently presented by Saffran and Serially (4) and Guille...

Angiotensin II mediated acth release in rat pituitary cell culture

Anterior pituitaries from normal rats were enzymatically dispersed and placed into monolayer cell culture in order to determine if and how angiotensin II (Ang II) mediates the in vitro release of ACTH and other pituitary hormones. Ang II stimulated ACTH secretion in a time dependent fashion. This release occurred at physiologic concentrations of Ang II and was linearly correlated with the log dose of Ang II. One hour pretreatment of the cells with cycloheximide, a inhibitor of protein synthesis, significantly decreased the cellular ACTH secretory response to Ang II. Ang 11 did not mediate the release of LH nor of ADH, a proposed stimulator of ACTH secretion.

Hypoglycemia stimulates ACTH secretion through a direct effect on the basal hypothalamus

The primary site of action of insulin hypoglycemia to induce ACTH secretion was investigated in rats with medial basal hypothalamic ablation (MBHA), medial basal hypothalamic deafferentation (MBHD), and chlorpromazine-morphine-pentobarbital (C-M-P) treatment. Plasma corticosterone (B) concentration was used as an index of ACTH secretion. Hypoglycemia failed to provoke ACTH secretion in MBHA and C-M-P treated animals, while it stimulated ACTH secretion in MBHD animals to the same extent as in controls. The rise in plasma B induced by synthetic lysine-vasopressin injection was not significantly different between MBHA and control animals, indicating pituitary ACTH reserve was not affected by the operation. Our data indicate that hypoglycemia stimulates ACTH secretion through a primary effect in the medial basal hypothalamus and not in the extrahypothalamic CNS or adenohyphophysis.

Characteristics of the alpha-adrenergic stimulation of adrenocorticotropin secretion in rat anterior pituitary cells.

Specificity of the a-adrenergic control of ACTH secretion was studied in rat anterior pituitary cells in primary culture. The α-adrenergic specificity of ACTH secretion is demonstrated by the following order of potency of catecholaminergic agents: epinephrine (20 nM) > norepinephrine (30 nM) » isoproterenol = doparnine (10μM). While epinephrine and norepinephrine lead to a 7- to 10-fold stimulation of ACTH secretion, clonidine and phenylephrine act as partial agonists and cause a 3- to 4-fold increase of ACTH release. Paraaminoclonidine and methoxamine have no significant effect up to 10 μM. α-Adrenergic antagonists inhibit epinephrine-induced ACTH release in the following order of potency: prazosin > WB-4101 » yohimbine, with Ka values of 0.06, 0.4, and 70 nM, respectively, thus indicating that the α-adrenergic receptor controlling ACTH secretion is of the α1 type. Dihydroergocornine and dihydroergocryptine, two ergot derivatives, show a-adrenergic antagonistic activity at low Kd values of 0.8 and 1.5 nM...

Plasma pattern of immunoreactive ACTH in normal man and in patients with Nelson's syndrome.

A radioimmunoassay for ACTH determinations in human plasma was developed using an N-terminal antiserum. Plasma ACTH levels at 6 a.m. in 39 patients with normal pituitary-adrenal function were below 4 pmol/l in two individuals. The remaining had a mean of 32.7 +/- 4 pmol/l (n = 37). Gel filtration on Sephadex G-50 medium and G-75 revealed that a high molecular weight immunoreactive ACTH was found in plasma from both normal individuals and patients with Nelson's syndrome. The stimulation of ACTH secretion with metyrapone (750 mg perorally) significantly increased the mean plasma levels of 1-39 ACTH after 3 h (from 0.9 to 6.6 pmol/l) in 10 healthy individuals. The level of the high molecular weight form remained constant. In one patient with Nelson's syndrome hydrocortisone iv (100 mg/h for 3 h) suppressed the total ACTH levels from 360 to 83 pmol/l following corticoid withdrawal on the previous evening, but did not affect the high molecular weight form of ACTH. The difference between the amounts of immunoreactive ACTH found in plasma from normal individuals and from patients with Nelson's syndrome was attributed to 1-39 ACTH.

Inhibition of adrenocorticotropin secretion by somatostatin in pituitary cells in culture.

AtT20/D16v is a clonal strain of mouse pituitary tumor cells which synthesizes and secretes ACTH. Somatostatin, a hypothalamic tetradecapeptide, has been shown to inhibit the release of PRL, GH, and TSH from the pituitary gland. We have characterized specific binding sites for somatostatin on AtT20/D16v cells and demonstrate that somatostatin inhibits stimulated ACTH release by these cells. Equilibrium binding studies with [125I]Tyr1]somatostatin showed the presence of a single class of noninteracting binding sites on AtT20/D16v cells. Half-maximal binding of somatostatin occurred at 1.7 X 10(-9) M, and there were 26,300 binding sites/cell. The binding of [125I]Tyr1]somatostatin was not significantly inhibited by the hypothalamic peptides TRH, LHRH, and substance P. Somatostatin had no consistent effect on basal ACTH secretion by AtT20/D16v cells, but it inhibited ACTH secretion stimulated with either 50 mM KCl or a hypothalamic extract. Half-maximal inhibition occurred with 4 X 10(-10) M somatostatin. TRH, LHRH, and substance P at concentrations of 10(-7) M were without effect. Somatostatin had no effect on either basal or stimulated hormone secretion by GH12C1 or F4C1 cells, two cell strains which lack specific somatostatin-binding sites. A critical concentration of extracellular calcium was required for the stimulation of ACTH secretion in AtT20/D16v cells. No response to 50 mM KCl occurred in the presence of EGTA or cobalt. Increased extracellular calcium overcame the inhibition of stimulated hormone secretion by EGTA, cobalt, and somatostatin. Therefore, we conclude that the inhibition of stimulated ACTH secretion by somatostatin involves the interaction of the peptide with specific binding sites on AtT20/D16v cells and the inhibition of stimulus-elicited calcium influx.

Lack of correlation between hypothalamic serotonin and the ether-induced ACTH secretion in adrenalectomized rats.

The central serotonergic system was manipulated using a serotonin receptor antagonist (cyproheptadine), electrolytic lesioning of the raphe nuclei and neurochemical destruction of the serotonergic terminals in the hypothalamus. The effects of these interventions on ether-induced ACTH secretion were studied in adrenalectomized rats. Serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine concentrations were measured in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) or in individual nuclei of the hypothalamus and of certain midbrain regions. Cyproheptadine pretreatment inhibited ether-induced ACTH hypersecretion in adrenalectomized animals. Neither the electrolytic lesions of the midbrain raphe nuclei, nor the neurotoxic destruction of the hypothalamic serotonergic terminals (by intraventricular administration of 5,6-dihydroxytryptamine) caused any alteration of stimulated ACTH secretion after ether inhalation and/or long-term corticoid deficiency. These results suggest a lack of correlation between the activity of the central serotonergic system and the ACTH releasing effect of ether-stress in adrenalectomized rats.