Endothelin: A novel peptide in the posterior pituitary system

Journal Article · Fri Jan 26 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.2405487· OSTI ID:6415114

Yoshizawa, Toshihiro; Kanazawa, Ichiro; Shinmi, Osamu; Kimura, Sadao; Yanagisawa, Masashi; Masaki, Tomoh; Uchiyama, Yasuo ^[1]; Giaid, A; Gibson, S J; Polak, J M ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Tsukuba (Japan)
2. Royal Postgraduate Medical School, London (England)

Endothelin (ET), originally characterized as a 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide from endothelial cells, is present in the porcine spinal cord and may act as a neuropeptide. Endothelin-like immunoreactivity has now been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclear neurons and their terminals in the posterior pituitary of the pig and the rat. The presence of ET in the porcine hypothalamus was confirmed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. Moreover, in situ hybridization demonstrated ET messenger RNA in porcine paraventricular nuclear neurons. Endothelin-like immunoreactive products in the posterior pituitary of the rat were depleted by water deprivation, suggesting a release of ET under physiological conditions. These findings indicate that ET is synthesized in the posterior pituitary system and may be involved in neurosecretory functions.

• OSTI ID: 6415114
• Journal Information: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (USA) Vol. 247:4941; ISSN SCIEA; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550201* -- Biochemistry-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BODY
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DOMESTIC ANIMALS
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FUNCTIONS
GLANDS
IMMUNE REACTIONS
IMMUNOASSAY
IMMUNOLOGY
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
MAMMALS
MESSENGER-RNA
NERVE CELLS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDES
PITUITARY GLAND
PROTEINS
RADIOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNOASSAY
RADIOIMMUNODETECTION
RADIOIMMUNOLOGY
RATS
RNA
RODENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOMATIC CELLS
SPINAL CORD
SWINE
SYNTHESIS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VERTEBRATES