Sharada Karanth

Anterior pituitary hormone control by interleukin 2.

Several monokines, proteins secreted by monocytes and macrophages, alter release of hormones from the anterior pituitary. We report here the ability of femtomolar concentrations of interleukin 2 (IL-2), a lymphokine released from T lymphocytes, to alter directly pituitary hormone release. The effects of concentrations of IL-2 ranging from 10(-17) to 10(-9) M on anterior pituitary hormone release were evaluated in vitro. Hemipituitaries were preincubated in 1 ml of Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer (KRB) followed by incubation for 1 or 2 hr with KRB or KRB containing different concentrations of IL-2. This was followed by incubation for 30 min in 56 mM potassium medium to study the effect of pretreatment with IL-2 on subsequent depolarization-induced hormone release. Prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), corticotropin (ACTH), growth hormone (GH), and thyrotropic hormone (TSH) released into the incubation medium were measured by radioimmunoassay. IL-2 stimulated the basal release of PRL at 1 or 2 hr but suppressed the subsequent depolarization-induced PRL release, perhaps because the readily releasable pool of PRL was exhausted. The minimal effective dose (MED) was 10(-15) M. Conversely, IL-2 significantly suppressed the basal release of LH and FSH at 1 or 2 hr, with a MED of 10(-16) M, thus demonstrating a reciprocal action of the cytokine on lactotrophs and gonadotrophs. The subsequent depolarization-induced release of LH and FSH was suppressed, indicative of a persistent inhibitory action of IL-2. IL-2 stimulated ACTH and TSH release at 1 hr and the MEDs were 10(-12) and 10(-15) M, respectively. Conversely, IL-2 significantly lowered the basal release of GH at 1 hr, with a MED of 10(-15) M. The release of GH was not altered at 2 hr. The high potassium-induced release of ACTH, TSH, and GH was not affected. The results demonstrate that IL-2 at picomolar concentrations affects the release of anterior pituitary hormones. This cytokine may serve as an important messenger from lymphocytes exerting a direct paracrine action on the pituitary by its release from lymphocytes in the gland or concentrations in the blood that reach the gland may be sufficient to activate it.

The Role of Nitric Oxide (NO) in Control of LHRH Release that Mediates Gonadotropin Release and Sexual Behavior

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in reproduction at every level in the organism. In the brain, it activates the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). The axons of the LHRH neurons project to the mating centers in the brain stem and by efferent pathways, evoke the lordosis reflex in female rats. In males, there is activation of NOergic terminals that release NO in the corpora cavernosa penis to induce erection by generation of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). NO also activates the release of LHRH which reaches the pituitary and activates the release of gonadotropins by activating neural NO synthase (NOS) in the pituitary gland. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)RH selectively releases FSH also by activating NOS. Leptin releases LHRH by activating NOS to release FSH and LH with the same potency as LHRH. These actions are mediated by specific receptors on the gonadotropes for LHRH, FSHRH and leptin. The responsiveness of the pituitary is controlled by gonadal steroids. In the gonad, NO plays an important role inducing ovulation and in causing luteolysis; whereas in the reproductive tract, it relaxes uterine muscle via cGMP and constricts it by prostaglandins.

Effects of Luteinizing-Hormone-Releasing Hormone, α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone, Naloxone, Dexamethasone and Indomethacin on lnterleukin-2-lnduced Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Release

Our previous studies have shown that the microinjection of interleukin (IL)-2 into the third ventricle of conscious rats evokes the release of adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and that its incubation with hemipituitaries in vitro was also effective in releasing ACTH. In the present experiments, we evaluated the effect of IL-2 on the release of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) from medial basal hypothalami (MBHs) incubated in vitro and studied the effect of other agents, whose release is altered in stress, on CRF release. IL-2 significantly stimulated CRF release at concentrations of 10(-13) and 10(-14) M, whereas increasing the concentration to 10(-12) to 10(-10) M did not produce significant release of CRF. A high concentration of potassium (55 mM) in the medium also significantly stimulated CRF release and this stimulation was not modified by IL-2. Since high-potassium-induced release of CRF is probably due to opening of voltage-dependent calcium channels, it is likely that IL-2 is releasing CRF by this mechanism. Since the release of luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) is modified by stress, we evaluated the action of LHRH on CRF release and the release induced by IL-2. Although LHRH failed to alter basal CRF release, except for a slight decrease at 10(-7) M, it completely blocked IL-2-induced CRF release at this concentration. To examine a possible role for opioid peptides in CRF release, the opiate receptor blocker, naloxone (NAL), was tested. At concentrations of 5 x 10(-6) and 10(-5) M, it produced a marked increase in CRF release; however, the simultaneous exposure of MBHs to each of these concentrations of NAL plus IL-2 caused a dose-dependent decrease in IL-2-induced CRF release, suggesting that beta-endorphin or other opioid peptides may play a role in IL-2-induced CRF release. As has been previously shown for IL-1 and IL-6, IL-2-induced CRF release was blocked by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), which at high concentrations also reduced basal CRF release. As in the case of IL-1 and IL-2, dexamethasone (DEX), the highly active synthetic glucocorticoid, although not altering basal CRF release, completely blocked the response to IL-2. The inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, indomethacin (IND), also blocked IL-2-induced CRF release just as it has previously been shown to block IL-1- and IL-6-induced CRF release. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that IL-2 acts on its recently discovered receptors to induce an increase in intracellular calcium. In other experiments, we have shown that this activates nitric oxide (NO) synthase leading to production of NO by a NOergic neuron. NO diffuses to the CRF neuron and activates cyclo-oxygenase leading to generation of prostaglandin E2, which activates adenylate cyclase and increases cyclic AMP release, which then causes extrusion of CRF secretory granules. DEX presumably acts on its receptors on the CRF neuron to inhibit the increase in intracellular calcium and thereby blocks activation of phospholipase A2 necessary for activation of the arachidonic acid cascade. alpha-MSH and LHRH may similarly act on their receptors on these cells to, in some manner, block the pathway. On the other hand, beta-endorphin and/or other opioid peptides inhibit the pathway. Further experiments will be necessary to elucidate the exact points in the pathway at which these compounds are effective.

Ascorbic acid stimulates gonadotropin release by autocrine action by means of NO

Because high concentrations of ascorbic acid (AA) are found in the adenohypophysis, we hypothesized that it might have an acute effect on the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the gland, particularly because we have reported that AA rapidly inhibits stimulated LH-releasing hormone (LHRH) release from medial basal hypothalamic explants. Incubation of anterior pituitary halves from adult male rats with graded concentrations of AA for 1 h induced highly significant release of both FSH and LH with a minimal effective concentration of 10−5 M. Release remained on a plateau from 10−5 to 10−2 M. When both AA and an effective concentration of LHRH were incubated together, there was no additive response to LHRH and the response was the same as to either compound alone. The FSH and LH release in response to AA was blocked by incubation with NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (NMMA) (300 μM), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthase. NMMA also inhibited LHRH-induced LH and FSH release and gonadotropin release in the presence of both LHRH and AA, whereas sodium nitroprusside, a releaser of NO, stimulated LH and FSH release. Membrane depolarization caused by incubation in high potassium (K+ = 28 or 56 mM) medium stimulated release of FSH, LH, and AA that was blocked by NMMA. We hypothesize that AA is released with FSH and LH from secretory granules. AA is transported back into gonadotropes by the AA transporter and increases intracellular [Ca2+]-activating NO synthase that evokes exocytosis of gonadotropins and AA by cGMP .

Influence of dopamine on the altered release of prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone induced by interleukin-2 in vitro

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) alters the release of anterior pituitary hormones at femtomolar concentrations from hemipituitaries incubated in vitro. This cytokine significantly lowered luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and stimulated prolactin (PRL) release, thus demonstrating a reciprocal action of the lymphokine on lactotrophs and gonadotrophs. Since dopamine (DA) is a powerful inhibitor of PRL release, in the present experiments were evaluated possible dose dependent effects of DA on IL-2-induced alterations of the release of PRL, LH, and FSH. Hemipituitaries were incubated with varying concentrations of DA, a combination of IL-2 plus DA, or a combination of haloperidol (1 x 10(-5) M) with DA for 1 h, followed subsequently by incubation with medium containing only high potassium (K+) to study the effects on depolarization-induced hormone release. DA induced a dose-related, significant lowering of the basal PRL release with a minimal effective dose (MED) of less than 19 nM. The depolarization-induced PRL release was also inhibited, but the MED was 100-fold higher than the MED to inhibit basal PRL release. DA at much higher concentrations (30, 60, and 90 microM) significantly reduced pituitary PRL content. The addition of 0.187, 3.75, 15, or 60 microM DA to IL-2-induced PRL release. IL-2 (10(-15) M) produced a significant decrease in LH and FSH release. The combination of 3.75 or 15 microM DA plus IL-2 failed to alter the IL-2 suppressed LH release, whereas the addition of 0.187 microM DA to IL-2 blocked its suppressive influence, and 60 microM DA added to Il-2 produced an additive inhibitory effect. Thus, the interaction of IL-2 and DA is biphasic on LH release. The significant reduction of FSH release induced by IL-2 was blocked in the presence of 0.187, 3.75, 15, or 60 microM DA. DA alone at relatively high concentrations of 30, 60, and 90 microM suppressed basal LH and FSH release. The effects of DA on PRL, LH, and FSH at all doses tested were blocked by the DA receptor blocker, haloperidol which by itself at the concentration tested (1 x 10(-5) M) had no effect. Thus, the actions of DA at all concentrations tested appear to be mediated via DA receptors. In conclusion, DA was capable of blocking the stimulatory action of IL-2 on PRL release and its inhibitory action on FSH release by a DA receptor mediated action.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Endocrine Aspects of Neuroimmunomodulation: Methods and Overview

This article presents methods used to evaluate the actions of cytokines at the hypothalamic and pituitary level and then summarizes the current status of our knowledge of their actions on the hypothalamic–pituitary unit. This field has developed explosively in the last few years, following the discovery of the structure of these small proteins produced by the immune system.

Role of Nitric Oxide in the Actions of Cytokines on Hypothalamic Releasing Hormone Secretion

Interleukins act within the hypothalamus to cause the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and inhibit release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the enzyme that converts arginine into citrulline plus nitric oxide (NO), the latter a highly active free radical, occurs in a large number of neurons in the brain, including certain neurons in the hypothalamus. Our in vivo experiments in rats employing NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), an inhibitor of NOS and nitroprusside, a releaser of NO, have determined that interleukin-2 (IL-2) activates CRH release by acting on its receptors on cholinergic neurons which stimulate NOergic neurons by muscarinic receptors. The NO diffuses to the CRH neurons and activates them as revealed by in vitro experiments with hypothalamic explants. On the other hand, norepinephrine or glutamic acid activate LHRH release by stimulating NOergic neurons that in turn induce LHRH release by activation of guanylate cyclase and cyclooxygenase. IL-lα acts directly on the LHRH neuron to block its response to NO on the basis of in vitro experiments. In vivo, NO stimulates LHRH release which induces pulsatile LH but not FSH release on the one hand and induces mating behavior on the other. The IL-1 -induced blockade of LHRH release by NO may account for the reduction in libido in infection. In vivo experiments employing injection of NMMA into the 3rd ventricle have revealed that NO mediates the prolactin-releasing action of interleukins. It also mediates pulsatile growth hormone (GH) release via stimulation of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GRH) release. IL-1 inhibits pulsatile GH release by blocking the response of the GRH neurons to NO. IL-1 also stimulates somatostatin release.