Endothelin: A novel peptide in the posterior pituitary system

Journal Article · Fri Jan 26 00:00:00 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), Vol. 247:4941; ISSN 0036-8075
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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