Regulation of pro-opiomelanocortin biosynthesis and processing by transplantation immunity

It is more than thirty years since Billingham and Medawar showed that adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol can prolong the survival of skin allografts. It has since become clear that glucocorticoid hormones are critically involved in the regulation of immunity. The level of glucocorticoids secreted in response to antigenic challenge corresponds to the magnitude of the immune response and in general reaches immunosuppressive levels. Interestingly, not all immune responses enhance ACTH and glucocorticoid hormone production. In transplantation immunity, the reverse seems to be true: circulating glucocorticoid levels at the time of skin graft rejection are lower than control levels. Because beta-endorphin and ACTH originate from the same prohormone, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and are closely related in their tissue-specific processing and coordinate release, we have investigated the role of pituitary beta-endorphin in transplantation immunity. We report here that POMC biosynthesis and processing in the pars intermedia, but not in the anterior pituitary, can be regulated by T cell-specific factors secreted in animals undergoing transplantation immunity.     

Corticotropin releasing factor induction of leukocyte-derived immunoreactive ACTH and endorphins

Human peripheral leukocytes infected by virus or treated with endotoxin will, like unstimulated mouse spleen macrophages, synthesize immunoreactive corticotrophin (ir-ACTH) and endorphins. The ir-ACTH produced appears to be identical with authentic ACTH, while enough of the material has been produced in hypophysectomized mice infected with virus to demonstrate a steroidogenic response. Because the production of ACTH by in vivo pituitary cells and by leukocytes is suppressed by dexamethasone both in vitro and in vitro, suggesting that the production of ACTH and endorphins by leukocytes is indeed controlled, we have investigated the effects of corticotropin releasing-factor (CRF), which is known to regulate the pituitary production of both ACTH and beta-endorphin. We now report that the production of ACTH and endorphins by leukocytes is indeed induced by synthetic CRF and, in turn, suppressed by dexamethasone, suggesting that, as in pituitary cells, the proopiomelanocortin (POMC) gene may be expressed and similarly controlled in leukocytes.     

Most of the coding region of rat ACTH beta--LPH precursor gene lacks intervening sequences

The peptide hormones ACTH, beta-endorphin, alpha- and beta-melanotropin(MSH) and possibly gamma-MSH are synthesized in the pituitary gland by the processing of a 32,000-molecular weight (MW) polypeptide called proopiomelanocortin (POMC). The existence of a further precursor (pre form) to POMC containing an additional N-terminal 'leader' peptide has been suggested by analysis of the in vitro translation products of poly(A)-containing RNA from AtT-20 cells, a mouse ACTH-producing cell line of pituitary origin. Nakanishi et al. cloned and sequenced a cDNA copy of the bovine prePOMC mRNA. This sequence confirmed the known structure of the carboxyl half of POMC and revealed the presence of a new MSH-like moiety, gamma-MSH, within the 16,000-MW amino half of the precursor (16K fragment). Recent experiments have suggested that this peptide may act in synergy with ACTH to increase corticosterone and aldosterone production in vivo and in vitro. We have now isolated from a rat genomic DNA library a segment of a DNA encoding most of POMC, using as probe a mouse 144-base pair cloned cDNA fragment encoding beta-MSH and beta-endorphin. The cloned rat gene is one of two (or more) closely related POMC genes. The DNA sequence obtained shows that the cloned POMC gene is not interrupted by any intervening sequence (IVS) between the codon for amino acid 19 and the presumptive poly(A) addition site. This region of POMC encodes all the biologically active peptides mentioned above. The DNA sequence encoding the putative gamma-MSH and the coding sequence that precedes it are highly conserved between rat and cow. This may indicate an as yet unrecognized biological function(s) for the NH2-terminal portion of the 16K fragment.     

Chloroquine diverts ACTH from a regulated to a constitutive secretory pathway in AtT-20 cells

AtT-20 cells, a mouse pituitary line, externalize a viral membrane glycoprotein and the precursor of ACTH constitutively, that is, rapidly without storage or regulation. They also have a regulated pathway in which they cleave the precursor to mature hormones, ACTH and beta-endorphin, store them in secretory granules and discharge them only in the presence of a secretagogue. An analogy exists for newly synthesized lysosomal enzymes which are either delivered to the lysosome or secreted from the cell. Targeting to the lysosomes may require a low pH step, since chloroquine causes the enzymes to be secreted from the cell. Here we show that chloroquine (200 microM) also appears to block the storage of newly synthesized ACTH in secretory granules and instead diverts it to the outside of the cell via the constitutive pathway. Chloroquine has no effect on the constitutive pathway and does not block the exocytosis of pre-packaged ACTH. Thus like lysosomal enzymes, peptide hormones are not sent to their correct destinations in the presence of chloroquine, but are diverted instead to a constitutive pathway that is chloroquine-insensitive.     

日本囊对虾雌亲虾性腺发育过程中组织器官生化组分含量的变化

采用生化分析的方法,探讨台湾海峡自然海区日本囊对虾雌亲虾性腺发育过程中卵巢、肝胰腺和血清中生化组分含量的变化,结果表明:1)自然海区的日本囊对虾雌亲虾性腺发育过程中,葡萄糖在卵巢中的含量呈不断上升趋势,0期到5期增幅达到96.53％ (p＜0.01);在肝胰腺中,0期和1期具较高水平,随后快速下降,从最高(1期)到最低(5期)总降幅达到72.11％;在血清中,1期处于最低水平,其余各期水平相当,1期与其他各期之间至少相差100％以上；2)胆固醇在卵巢中的含量由0期至4期呈上升趋势,增幅达到208.67％,随后开始下降,到5期时降幅为23.44％；在肝胰腺中0期处于最高水平,后呈持续下降趋势,从0期到5期降幅达到74.66％；在血清中含量水平比在卵巢中略高,在(10.45±1.03)～(23.19±3.59)mg/dL之间呈起伏状波动；3)甘油三酯在卵巢中的含量快速上升,从0期到5期增幅达到313.56％；在肝胰腺中含量呈下降之势,以1期为最高,0期最低,经产卵下降到只有原来的8.63％；在血清中含量水平各期虽有起伏,但相对较为恒定.推测日本囊对虾卵巢发育过程中,葡萄糖和胆固醇是通过肝胰腺提供,经血淋巴中的血清运输至卵巢储存.甘油三酯主要由肝胰腺和血淋巴中的血清共同提供.     

c-fos和CYP17对多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者卵巢颗粒细胞雄激素分泌过多的影响及机制

 为研究多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者卵巢颗粒细胞中c-fos 及CYP17 基因表达的变化,探讨c-fos 及CYP17 基因对PCOS 卵巢颗粒细胞雄激素分泌的影响及可能的作用机制,对拟行IVF/ICSI-ET 的PCOS 患者及非PCOS 患者分为对照组(非PCOS 患者)和PCOS 组(PCOS 患者),两组患者的卵巢颗粒细胞进行体外培养48 h,利用放射免疫法检测细胞上清液中的雌二醇(E2)、孕酮(P)、睾酮(T)的水平;利用2-NBDG 标记葡萄糖检测颗粒细胞的葡萄糖摄取能力;采用免疫蛋白印迹(WesternBlot)法分别评估颗粒细胞中c-fos 及CYP17 基因的表达变化。结果发现,PCOS 组患者与对照组患者相比,颗粒细胞培养上清液中睾酮水平升高(P<0.05)、孕酮水平降低(P<0.05)、雌二醇水平无明显变化(P>0.05),且颗粒细胞对2-NBDG 标记葡萄糖摄取明显降低(P<0.05),提示PCOS 患者卵巢颗粒细胞雄激素分泌异常增高,并存在糖代谢异常。与对照组患者相比,PCOS组患者颗粒细胞CYP17 基因表达升高(P<0.05),c-fos 基因表达降低(P<0.05),提示颗粒细胞c-fos 基因异常低表达,可能降低了对CYP17 基因的抑制作用,使CYP17 高表达,可能是卵巢颗粒细胞雄激素分泌增加的原因之一。     

大熊猫（Ailuropoda Melanoleuca）卵巢的年龄变化

对比观察了5只不同年龄大熊猫(包括青年、中年和老年)的卵巢皮质石蜡切片。可见皮质结构有较大的年龄变化。主要表现在:性成熟后,卵巢皮质的厚度随年龄的增长有减薄的趋势。成年的各级正常卵泡数量较少,初级和次级的更少;闭锁卵饱和间质腺较多,并呈现出随年龄增长而增多的动向。老年卵巢结构变化明显,皮质纤维化,卵泡全部消失,仅有较多囊泡,小动脉管壁增厚,管腔变小。老年卵巢的外形、体积和重量等方面与成年之间未见明显年龄变化。     

Distribution of CRH-and ACTH-like immunoreactive cells in amphioxus,Branchiostoma belcheri

Immunocytochemical studies on the nervous system,Hatschek's pit,digestive tract and gonads tissues of an amphioxus(Branchiostoma belcheri)were performed using polyclonal antibodies against human corticotrophin-releasing hormone(CRH)and human adrenocorticotropin(ACTH).The results showed that many CRH-like immunoreactive neurons were distributed specifically on the dorsal side and ventral side of brain vesicle,while a few CRH-like neurons and their fibers in spinal cord.At the same time,the epithelial cells in the basic region of Hatschek's pit were shown immunopositive to CRH antibody.In gonads(ovary and testis),CRH-immunopositive substance was localized in the cytoplasm near oocyte nucleus and in early spermatogenic cells.ACTH-like immunoreactivities were observed specially in the neurons and their protrusions localized on the ventral side of the brain vesicle and in spinal cord,and also in epithelial cells of Hatschek's pit,enteric neurons of digestive tract,oocytes in ovary and in early spermatogenic cells as well.It was found for the first time that CRH-like neurons existed in the middle region of brain vesicle(corresponding to the hypothalamus of vertebrates)and ACTH-like immunopositive cells existed in Hatschek's pit,implying that a control mechanism between brain vesicle and Hatschek's pit maybe had been already built in amphioxus as that in vertebrates.The present study will provide new morphological evidence for the origin and evolution of ACTH.In addition,the immunoreactivities of CRH and ACTH in the digestive tract and gonads suggested other physiological function of CRH and ACTH in amphioxus.     

不同表型的多囊卵巢综合征患者雄激素代谢的差异研究

多囊卵巢综合症是妇产科最常见和最复杂的生殖内分泌疾病,本文研究不同类型的多囊卵巢综合征患者雄激素代谢的差异,从而探讨多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)Rotterdam标准的不同诊断指标,对我国患者卵巢雄激素合成的影响,具有重要的理论意义和临床应用意义.用尿促性素(150 IU)和绒促性素(5000 IU),对8例正常对照组、PCOS患者的17例多囊组(Ⅰ组)、14例高雄组(Ⅱ组)和21例复合组(Ⅲ组)妇女行卵巢兴奋试验,观察孕酮、17羟孕酮和雄烯二酮的血浓度的变化,并计算雄激素合成关键酶-17α羟化酶和17,20裂解酶的功能状态和活性.PCOS的Ⅲ组和Ⅱ组的雄激素合成酶均亢进,以前者更加明显;PCOS的Ⅰ组和正常对照组的雄激素合成酶相似,基本正常.PCOS的单纯卵巢多囊形态学并无雄激素合成的异常,但综合分析,仍可诊断为PCOS,Rotterdam标准适用我国患者.     

Corticotropin regulates transsynaptically the activity of septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones

The activity of septo-hippocampal neurones is affected by the action on cholinergic perikarya in the septum of a variety of putative neurotransmitters, including substance P and beta-endorphin. (The latter is released in the septal region from neurones which originate in the medial basal hypothalamus.) It has also been reported that two other neuropeptides, corticotropin (ACTH1-24) and alpha-melanotropin (alpha-MSH), affect acetylcholine turnover in septo-hippocampal neurones in a manner that is not blocked by transection of the afferents to the hippocampus, from which it has been inferred that the neurotransmitters act directly on the hippocampus. We now describe experiments with corticotropin which show that the effect is rather the influence on septo-hippocampal cholinergic neurones of peptidergic neurones within the septum.     

Lactogenic receptor regulation in hormone-stimulated steroidogenic cells

Receptor sites for lactogenic hormones such as prolactin (PRL), human growth hormone (HGH), and placental lactogens, are widely distributed in mammalian tissues, including mammary glands, steroid-secreting cells of the adrenal, testis, and ovary, and target cells of steroid hormone action such as liver, prostrate, and kidney. Although the biological functions of lactogen binding sites remain uncertain, a relationship between prolactin and lipoprotein metabolism is implied by the occurrence of prolactin receptors in steroidogenic cells of the gonads and adrenal, and by the ability of prolactin to increase esterified cholesterol in the testis. Recently, loss of testicular prolactin receptors has been observed following elevation of circulating luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations by the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and its agonist analogues. The hormone dependence of lactogen receptor sites in steroid-secreting cells was further analysed in rat testis, ovary, and adrenal glands after treatment with the respective trophic hormones, gonadotropin and ACTH. In each of these tissues, rapid and transient loss of lactogen receptors was observed after trophic hormone stimulation. These findings indicate that increased turnover of lactogen receptors is an important component of the target-cell response, and suggest that prolactin receptors might be involved in the transport of lipoprotein precursors for steroid biosynthesis.     

卵巢移植国内研究进展

实验证明新鲜或冻存卵巢移植可恢复缺失或早衰病人的内分泌和生殖功能,近年来卵巢移植技术的研究已成为国外生殖生物学和生殖医学领域的研究热点,国内也开展了许多相关研究工作.本文就国内卵巢移植的研究进展作一综述.     

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue binds to luteal cells and inhibits progesterone production.

Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is believed to mediate the hypothalamic control of pituitary gonadotropin secretion, continuous or repeated administration of GnRH or its agonist analogues has been shown to cause paradoxical antifertility effects in several species, including primates. GnRH-induced interruption of reproductive cycles and pregnancy is associated with diminished progesterone production, implying defective function of the corpus luteum. These luteolytic effects have been attributed to the well recognized desensitising actions of elevated luteinising hormone (LH) levels on ovarian LH receptors and steroidogenesis, subsequent to GnRH-induced gonadotropin release from the anterior pituitary. However, treatment with high doses of exogenous LH did not cause suppression of serum progesterone levels during early pregnancy in rats, whereas a highly active GnRH analogue was effective in this regard. These observations suggested that GnRH and its agonist analogues, given in high or sustained doses, can exert a direct action on the ovary that is independent of the pituitary. This hypothesis was further supported by the ability of GnRH and its agonists to inhibit human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)-induced ovarian and uterine weight gain in hypophysectomised rats and to delay the onset of puberty in intact female rats. Also, GnRH and its agonist analogues have recently been shown to inhibit steroidogenesis induced by follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in cultured granulosa cells, confirming the direct action of such peptides on the ovarian follicle. The marked inhibitory effects of GnRH and its agonists on corpus luteum function suggest that these compounds could exert direct actions by binding to specific receptors on luteal cells. The present experiments, which examine the effects of GnRH agonists on luteal steroidogenesis, demonstrate the existence of such actions and their mediation by specific high-affinity receptor sites present in luteal cell membranes.     

Corticotropin-releasing factor is a potent inhibitor of sexual receptivity in the female rat

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), the recently characterized and synthesized 41-amino acid polypeptide isolated from ovine hypothalami, has been shown to be a potent stimulator of adenohypophyseal beta-endorphin and corticotropin (ACTH) secretion both in vitro and in vivo. In common with other regulatory peptides, CRF has also been demonstrated to possess extra-hypophysiotropic roles. Indeed, intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered CRF elicits several endocrine and behavioural responses compatible with the concept that this peptide could be a key signal in coordinating the organism's endocrine and behavioural responses to stressful and other adaptive stimuli. We now provide the first evidence for neurally placed CRF in the control of a specific hormone-dependent behavioural response and unequivocally demonstrate an extremely potent suppressive effect of CRF on sexual behaviour in the female rat when microinfused into the arcuate-ventromedial area of the hypothalamus (ARC-VMH) and the mesencephalic central grey (MCG).     

虎纹捕鸟蛛卵巢发育的组织学

根据卵巢的组织学和形态特征分析,虎纹捕鸟蛛的卵巢为若干由生殖上皮向卵巢腔内突起的卵巢小体构成.在卵细胞发育过程中,一直有滋养细胞形成的托柄向其供应养分.卵巢发育可分为5个时期：形成期、生长期、成熟期、排卵期和恢复期.在生殖季节里可多次产卵,为多次产卵类型.卵巢的大小重量与蛛体重量成正相关,而成熟的蜘蛛性腺指数仅随卵细胞的发育而变化,不随蛛体大小改变.     

Glycyl glutamine, an inhibitory neuropeptide derived from beta-endorphin

The primary mechanism of activation of intracellular prohormones seems to involve proteolytic cleavage at sequences of consecutive basic residues. Thus, all the known biologically active peptides derived from the prohormone of corticotropin and beta-endorphin appear to be excised initially by enzymes with this specificity. The C-terminal peptide, beta-endorphin (1-31), is generated by cleavage at a lysyl arginine sequence and an additional cleavage can give rise to the related peptides, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26). These derivatives of beta-endorphin are released by an endopeptidase that appears to catalyse cleavage on the carboxyl side of paired lysine residues, followed by the action of a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme (Fig. 1). The beta-endorphin fragments, beta-endorphin (1-27) and beta-endorphin (1-26), have been isolated from porcine and bovine pituitary but the C-terminal dipeptide, glycyl glutamine, has not been reported previously. Here we describe the isolation of glycyl glutamine from porcine pituitary and present evidence for its presence in sheep brain stem. When applied ionophoretically to brain stem neurones in the rat, the dipeptide exhibited an inhibitory action on cell firing.     

甘草次酸、水飞蓟宾对体外培养的胰岛素抵抗猪卵巢颗粒细胞的影响

 多囊卵巢综合征(PCOS)患者往往伴有卵巢细胞的胰岛素抵抗及激素水平的异常,胰岛素增敏剂能够缓解PCOS患者的症状。本研究利用地塞米松诱导的猪体外卵巢颗粒细胞胰岛素抵抗,探讨中药单体甘草次酸及水飞蓟宾作为胰岛素增敏剂对胰岛素抵抗卵巢颗粒细胞异常激素分泌的改善情况,从而阐明中药单体的疗效机制,进而扩大中药单体的临床应用。结果表明,地塞米松作用后,体外培养的猪卵巢颗粒细胞分泌睾酮(T)增加,同时伴有17α羟化酶(CYP17)mRNA表达量的上调,AMPK(一磷酸腺苷酸活化蛋白激酶)mRNA表达降低,芳香化酶(P450arom)变化不明显。甘草次酸和水飞蓟宾都能够通过提高AMPK mRNA的表达水平,降低胰岛素抵抗颗粒细胞的雄激素分泌能力及CYP17 mRNA的表达水平。结果显示,中药甘草次酸和水飞蓟宾显著抑制了胰岛素抵抗细胞过高的雄激素分泌能力。卵巢细胞AMPK途径的激活可能是中药胰岛素增敏剂治疗PCOS高雄激素血症的途径之一。     

血管内皮生长因子对女性生殖功能的调控及其临床意义

血管内皮生长因子是一种特异性血管生长因子，在血管的发生中发挥重要作用。在卵巢、子宫内膜、胎盘等部位有丰富的VEGF及其受体的表达，对女性生殖功能发挥重要的调控作用。近年来VEGF在妇产科领域的临床研究结果表明，VEGF的异常表达与卵巢癌、妊娠高血压、子宫内膜异位症有着密切的关系。     

Hedgehog acts as a somatic stem cell factor in the Drosophila ovary

Secreted signalling molecules of the Hedgehog (Hh) family have many essential patterning roles during development of diverse organisms including Drosophila and humans. Although Hedgehog proteins most commonly affect cell fate, they can also stimulate cell proliferation. In humans several distinctive cancers, including basal-cell carcinoma, result from mutations that aberrantly activate Hh signal transduction. In Drosophila, Hh directly stimulates proliferation of ovarian somatic cells. Here we show that Hh acts specifically on stem cells in the Drosophila ovary. These cells cannot proliferate as stem cells in the absence of Hh signalling, whereas excessive Hh signalling produces supernumerary stem cells. We deduce that Hh is a stem-cell factor and suggest that human cancers due to excessive Hh signalling might result from aberrant expansion of stem cell pools.     

塔形马蹄螺雌性生殖系统的显微结构研究

塔形马蹄螺为雌雄异体，其雌性生殖系统主要由卵巢和输卵管组成，没有受精囊、交合囊和子宫，也没有其他的附属腺体．卵巢小管内存在不同发育时期的卵原细胞、初级卵母细胞、次级卵母细胞、卵黄合成期卵母细胞和成熟卵母细胞．输卵管壁向管腔凸出8～9个皱褶，柱状上皮细胞游离缘具细长纤毛；卵巢的发育具季节性．