Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The localization of catecholamine-synthesizing enzymes [tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT)], of serotonin (5-HT), and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) in the pituitary of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), rat, hamster, and dog was examined by the immunofluorescence method. Many TH- and DBH-positive but PNMT-negative noradrenalin cells and 5-HT-positive serotonin cells were first observed in the pars distalis of the frog pituitary together with small numbers of ACTH-positive cells, in marked contrast to our previous findings that TH-positive but DBH-negative dopamine cells are rare in the anterior lobe of rat and dog pituitary. The entire population of cells of the pars intermedia showed a weak ACTH-like immunoreaction. Although most of these cells were TH- or 5-HT-negative, TH-positive but DBH-negative dopaminergic varicose fibers surrounded these cells. Among cells of the pars intermedia of the frog, 5-HT-positive cells with processes were also scattered. In the neural lobe, TH- and 5-HT-immunoreactive fibers were rarely seen.
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PMID:Existence of noradrenalin cells and serotonin cells in the pituitary gland of Rana catesbeiana. 613 Aug 47

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activities, dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A), met 5-enkephalin (Met-Enk), leu5-enkephalin (Leu-Enk), dynorphin (Dyn) and beta-endorphin (beta-end) were measured simultaneously in ten human pheochromocytomas = 1 - TH activity was highly variable, from 22 to 2220 U/g tissue. 2 - DBH activity, in contrast, was rather constant, from 96 to 582 U/g. 3 - Catecholamines (A and NA) concentrations showed only small variations. 4 - The four opioid peptides were detected in all cases and exhibited a wide range of tissue concentrations (Enk much greater than Dyn greater than beta-end). 5 - Met-Enk and Leu-Enk concentrations were highly correlated; no correlation was observed with the other opioid peptides. 6 - A very strong correlation was observed between enkephalins concentrations and both catecholamines concentrations and DBH activities. These results are discussed in term of the significance of the co-localization of these various biologically active substances, principally with regard to the possible regulation of catecholamine synthesis by opioid peptides and conversely.
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PMID:Simultaneous evaluation of the catecholamine pathway and three opioid peptide-producing systems in human pheochromocytomas. 614 74

Acrolein was examined as an alternative fixative to formaldehyde for immunocytochemical localization of neuropeptides in the rat brain. A brief (5 min) vascular perfusion with a 5% acrolein solution allowed the identification of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), somatostatin (SRIF), neurotensin (NT), methionine enkephalin (Menk), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) in fibers and perikarya within the central nervous system of the rat using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) technique. Acrolein appears to be particularly valuable for immunocytochemistry, as it 1) stabilizes heterogeneous peptides and proteins rapidly and effectively, 2) retains antigenicity, and 3) preserves morphological detail.
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PMID:Acrolein: a fixative for immunocytochemical localization of peptides in the central nervous system. 618 5

Peptide, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)-, tyrosine hydroxylase (TOH)-, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-like immunoreactivity was studied in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens. Peroxidase-antiperoxidase and indirect immunofluorescence single- and double-labeling methods were used to compare differential laminar distribution of each of these substances. Substance P (SP), leucine-enkephalin (LENK), cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK8), bombesin (BOM), avian pancreatic polypeptide (APP), and possibly neurotensin display unique individual patterns of laminar distribution of processes and cell bodies throughout the tectum. A correlative analysis of the topographical distribution of SP, LENK, BOM, and APP on the basis of double-labeled sections shows a precise laminar segregation of these substances. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-, beta-endorphin-, and ranatensinlike immunoreactivity is consistently absent from our material. 5HT- and TOH-like immunoreactivity discloses a reticular array of fibers without clear evidence of laminar organization. This peptide-like laminar organization is particularly elaborate throughout the superficial neuropil of the optic tectum, the major retinorecipient zone. The pattern of lamination demonstrated in the present study differs in several important features from that previously described on the basis of several histological methods. The cells of origin of processes (axons and/or dendrites) in the superficial tectal neuropil may be either intrinsic or extrinsic to the tectum. Special reference is made to conflicting evidence regarding the possibility of a retinal contribution to peptide-like tectal lamination.
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PMID:Laminar organization of peptide-like immunoreactivity in the anuran optic tectum. 619 80

The amphibian Xenopus laevis is able to adapt the colour of its skin to the light intensity of the background, by releasing alpha-melanophore-stimulating hormone from the pars intermedia of the hypophysis. In this control various inhibitory (dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, neuropeptide Y, noradrenaline) and stimulatory (thyrotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone) neural factors are involved. Dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid and neuropeptide Y are present in suprachiasmatic neurons and co-exist in synaptic contacts on the melanotrope cells in the pars intermedia, whereas noradrenaline occurs in the locus coeruleus and noradrenaline-containing fibres innervate the pars intermedia. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone occur in axon terminals in the pars nervosa. In the present study, the neuronal origins of these factors have been identified using axonal tract tracing. Application of the tracers 1,1'dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3' tetramethyl indocarbocyanine and horseradish peroxidase into the pars intermedia resulted in labelled neurons in two brain areas, which were immunocytochemically identified as the suprachiasmatic nucleus and the locus coeruleus, indicating that these areas are involved in neural inhibition of the melanotrope cells. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone and corticotropin-releasing hormone were demonstrated immunocytochemically in the magnocellular nucleus. This area appeared to be labelled upon tracer application into the pars nervosa. This finding is in line with the idea that corticotropin-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulate melanotrope cell activity after diffusion from the neural lobe to the pars intermedia. After anterograde filling of the optic nerve with horseradish peroxidase, labelled axons were traced up to the suprachiasmatic area where they showed to be in contact with suprachiasmatic neurons. These neurons showed a positive reaction with anti-neuropeptide Y and the same held for staining with anti-tyrosine hydroxylase. It is suggested that a retino-suprachiasmatic pathway is involved in the control of the melanotrope cells during the process of background adaptation.
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PMID:Involvement of retinohypothalamic input, suprachiasmatic nucleus, magnocellular nucleus and locus coeruleus in control of melanotrope cells of Xenopus laevis: a retrograde and anterograde tracing study. 752 68

The aim of this study was to investigate the neurochemical coding of myenteric neurons in the guinea pig gastric corpus by using immunohistochemical methods. Antibodies and antisera against calbindin (CALB), calretinin (CALRET), choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), beta-endorphin (ENK), neuropeptide Y (NPY), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), parvalbumin (PARV), serotonin (5-HT), somatostatin (SOM), substance P (SP), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were used. Double- and triple-labeling studies revealed colocalization of certain transmitters and enabled the identification of distinct subpopulations of gastric enteric neurons. NPY/VIP/NOS/ENK were present in 28% of all neurons, whereas 11% had NPY/VIP/DBH/ChAT; NOS-only neurons made up 2% of the population. The combination SP/ChAT/ENK occurred in 21% of the population, whereas SP/ChAT/ENK/CALRET and SP/CHAT/SOM/ +/- CALRET was identified in 5% and 6% of all cells, respectively. 5-HT-containing neurons comprised 2% of all cells and could be further classified by the presence of additional antigens as 5-HT/SP/(ChAT) or 5-HT/VIP/(ChAT). Approximately 21% of all neurons contained only ChAT with no additional antigen present and are referred to as ChAT/-. Gastric myenteric ganglion cells were not immunoreactive for CALB, PARV, CGRP, or TH. The results of this study indicate that gastric myenteric neurons can be characterized on the basis of different chemical coding. Neurochemical coding of corpus myenteric neurons revealed some similarities and significant differences in comparison with other regions of the gut. These differences might reflect adaptation of enteric nerves according to regional specialization and the distinct functions of the proximal stomach as a gastric reservoir.
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PMID:Neurochemical coding of enteric neurons in the guinea pig stomach. 753 52

Immunohistochemical methods were used to study the developing peptidergic innervation of the human fetal prostate gland in a series of specimens ranging in gestational age from 13 to 30 wk. The overall innervation of each specimen was visualised using protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), a general nerve marker. The onset and development of specific neuropeptide-containing subpopulations were investigated using antisera to neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), bombesin (BOM), somatostatin (SOM), leu-enkephalin (l-ENK) and met-enkephalin (m-ENK). In addition the occurrence and distribution of presumptive noradrenergic nerves was studied using antisera to dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). At 13 wk numerous branching PGP-immunoreactive (-IR) nerves were observed in the capsule of the developing prostate gland and surrounding the preprostatic urethra but the remainder of the gland was devoid of nerves. The majority of nerves in the capsule contained D beta H and TH and were presumed to be noradrenergic in type while other nerves (in decreasing numbers) contained NPY, l-ENK, SP and CGRP. Nerves associated with the preprostatic urethra did not contain any of the neuropeptides under investigation. At 17 wk the density of nerves in the capsule had increased and occasional m-ENK-, VIP- and BOM-IR nerve fibres were also observed. In addition PGP, D beta H-, TH-, NPY- and l-ENK-IR nerves occurred in association with smooth muscle bundles which at 17 wk were present in the outer part of the gland. Occasional PGP-IR nerves were also present at the base of the epithelium forming some of the prostatic glands. At 23 wk some of the subepithelial nerves showed immunoreactivity for NPY, VIP or l-ENK. At 26 wk smooth muscle bundles occurred throughout the gland and were richly innervated by PGP, D beta H and TH-IR nerves while a less dense plexus was formed by NPY- and l-ENK-IR nerves together with a few m-ENK-IR nerves. Occasional smooth muscle-associated varicose nerve fibres showed immunoreactivity for SP, CGRP, VIP or BOM although the majority of these types of nerve formed perivascular plexuses. Also at 26 wk numerous varicose nerve fibres were observed in association with the prostatic acini, the majority of such nerves containing NPY with a few showing immunoreactivity to VIP, l-ENK, SP or CGRP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Development of peptide-containing nerves in the human fetal prostate gland. 759 78

The possible role that the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus might play in mediating the increase in paraventricular nucleus corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA levels following adrenalectomy was investigated in two series of experiments. In the first series in situ hybridization histochemistry was used to quantify levels of eight accurate nucleus neuropeptide and neurotransmitter mRNAs in neurons that potentially relay adrenal steroid feedback to the paraventricular nucleus. In the second series of experiments, arcuate neuropeptidergic projections to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus were characterized using retrograde tracing in combination with in situ hybridization histochemistry. Despite an increase in paraventricular nucleus corticotropin-releasing hormone (60%) and pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA levels (sixfold), arcuate mRNA levels for proopiomelanocortin, neuropeptide Y, somatostatin, galanin, dynorphin, tyrosine hydroxylase, glutamate decarboxylase, and the glucocorticoid receptor were unchanged 14 days following adrenalectomy. Neuropeptidergic characterization of arcuatoparaventricular projections was achieved by injection of the retrograde tracer fluorogold into the paraventricular nucleus; retrogradely labeled neurons were characterized with polyclonal antisera against fluorogold in combination with oligonucleotide probes directed against neuropeptide Y, proopiomelanocortin, or somatostatin. Out of these three arcuate neuropeptide Y mRNA was contained in 18% of the fluorogold-positive neurons in the arcuate, proopiomelanocortin mRNA was contained in 8%, and somatostatin mRNA was contained in 6%. Overall, the results from both experiments suggest that the arcuatoparaventricular neuropeptide Y, proopiomelanocortin, and somatostatin projections are not sensitive to a chronic (14 day) lack of adrenal steroids. These projections as well as the other arcuate neurotransmitter and neuropeptide systems appear not to contribute to the persistent elevations in paraventricular nucleus corticotropin-releasing hormone mRNA levels or pituitary proopiomelanocortin mRNA levels found in 14 day adrenalectomized rats.
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PMID:Arcuate nucleus neurons that project to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: neuropeptidergic identity and consequences of adrenalectomy on mRNA levels in the rat. 759 46

We have reported a decrease in the number of arcuate nucleus (ARC)-immunoreactive beta-endorphin neurons in old (24 months) female C57BL/6J mice versus young (5 months) mice. Here, we have tested by immunocytochemistry whether age-related changes in beta-endorphin neuron numbers are selective for beta-endorphin neurons which do or do not contain estrogen receptors (E2R). We also compared beta-endorphin neuron number in mice with short- (S) and long-duration (L) ovariectomy (OVX), since the latter may protect against neuroendocrine aging. Mice were studied at 5 (young), 12 (middle-aged), or 23-24 months (old). When the mean number of neurons per tissue section (15 sections per animal) was examined, there were no significant differences between young and middle-aged S-OVX females for either beta-endorphin, E2R, or beta-endorphin/E2R neuron number. However, there were significant decreases in beta-endorphin-containing neurons in the oldest age group versus young females (young S-OVX: 74.4 +/- 11 (+/- SD) immunopositive neurons per tissue section, n = 10 mice; young L-OVX: 61.6 +/- 6.9, n = 6; old S-OVX: 45.7 +/- 9.9, n = 7; and old L-OVX: 37.5 +/- 7.3, n = 7). There were also decreases in beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R in the oldest animals (young S-OVX: 16.6 +/- 6.4; young L-OVX: 13.7 +/- 1.3; old S-OVX: 9.2 +/- 1.8; L-OVX: 6.0 +/- 1.5) (p < 0.05 ANOVA). Both age (p < or = 0.001, two-way ANOVA) and ovarian status (p < or = 0.05) independently affected neuron number for both the beta-endorphin and beta-endorphin/E2R populations versus young mice. We tested whether the observed age and/or ovarian-related decreases were proportionally greater in the subpopulation of beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R compared to the total beta-endorphin neuron population. In the oldest age group, there was no significant difference in the decrease with age in the population of beta-endorphin neurons which contained E2R and the total beta-endorphin population (p = 0.208). When we examined the E2R neuron population as compared to the beta-endorphin neuron populations, age-related decreases in the beta-endorphin neuronal population tended to be greater than the decreases seen in the E2R neuron population (p = 0.054 repeated measures ANOVA). The tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neuron population was studied to test whether there were changes in another ARC neuron population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Effects of age and long-term ovariectomy on the estrogen-receptor containing subpopulations of beta-endorphin-immunoreactive neurons in the arcuate nucleus of female C57BL/6J mice. 761 32

Applying double-labelling immunofluorescence, the peptide content of solitary and clustered small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells, identified by an antiserum to a selective membrane glycoprotein marker, synaptophysin, was correlated with the presence of catecholamines in the rat superior cervical ganglion. Most of synaptophysin-immunoreactive solitary and clustered SIF cells apparently contained dopamine (indicated by tyrosine hydroxylase-TH) but not noradrenaline (indicated by dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-DBH). Frequently, immunoreactivities for substance P or rarely, neuropeptide Y were colocalized in TH-immunolabeled cells of both types. Immunostaining for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was found only in solitary SIF cells and was visible in TH-immunoreactive, as well as in TH-nonreactive cells. Very few solitary SIF cells were TH- and DBH-immunoreactive. Solitary and clustered SIF cells, as a rule, were encircled by leu-enkephalin-positive fibres which were also met-enkephalin-arg6-phe7-immunoreactive, indicating proenkephalin as precursor. SIF cells were additionally approached by varicose fibres which contained immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) but not for enkephalins. As observed by immuno-electronmicroscopy, fibres that were immunostained for leu-enkephalin or CGRP, deeply invaginated into SIF cell somata. In addition to close membrane appositions, CGRP-immunolabeled fibres exhibited efferent synaptic contacts wih elements of SIF cell clusters. SIF cells were non-reactive to enkephalin-antisera in control ganglia and after transection of the postganglionic nerves (axotomy); but both types exhibited leu-enkephalin in preganglionically transected ganglia (decentralization) in which enkephalin-immunoreactive fibre baskets were absent. Synthesis of enkephalin in SIF cells after decentralization was confirmed by in situ hybridization demonstrating intracytoplasmic proenkephalin messenger-RNA. The findings are indicative for a differential neurochemical equipment of SIF cells in the rat superior cervical ganglion, which mainly is independent to a topographical classification. Moreover, they demonstrate the involvement of two neuropeptides in preganglionic SIF cell innervation. Finally, the observations indicate the capacity of SIF cells for proenkephalin-expression in response to preganglionic denervation.
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PMID:Neurochemistry, connectivity and plasticity of small intensely fluorescent (SIF) cells in the rat superior cervical ganglion. 768 94


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