ABSTRACT
Urocortin (Ucn) 2 is a new member of the corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neuropeptide family that is expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. However, the expression levels of Ucn 2 in various tissues of the rat remains unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to characterise the expression of Ucn 2 in the various tissues of the rat. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that Ucn 2 mRNA is expressed in the hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal, stomach, skin, ovary, uterus and skeletal muscle. Histologically, Ucn 2 mRNA and Ucn 2-like immunoreactivity (LI) were demonstrated in both the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary, but not detected in the posterior lobe. Furthermore, all Ucn 2-positive cells in the anterior and intermediate lobes were also positive for beta-endorphin. Ucn 2 mRNA was detected in the adrenal cortex and medulla although Ucn 2-LI was only found in the adrenal medulla. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal extracts showed that the main Ucn 2-LI peak occurred at the same molecular size as that of synthetic Ucn 2. These results suggest that Ucn 2 is synthesised in various tissues, including the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary and the adrenal.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Glands/metabolism , Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism , Hypothalamus/metabolism , Pituitary Gland/metabolism , Animals , Female , Gastric Mucosa/metabolism , Lung/metabolism , Male , Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism , Organ Specificity , Ovary/metabolism , RNA, Messenger/analysis , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Skin/metabolism , Uterus/metabolismABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different degrees of alcohol ingestion on bone strength and mineral density. Three different groups of growing female rats were administered different doses of an alcohol-water solution for a period of 6 months. These three groups were divided into: 1) the control group, which was only given water; 2) the moderate group, which was given 5% ethanol solution for only 2 h per day; and 3) the excess group, which was given only 5% ethanol solution for 163 days. This ethanol consumption induced no detrimental effect on biochemical parameters including liver function. The moderate group showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of proximal metaphysis as compared to the control group, while there was no difference between the excess group and the control group. Similarly, in comparison to the control group, the moderate group exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.001) in bone mechanical strength, while the excess group showed either the same or decreased bone stiffness. These results indicate that alcohol intake has both beneficial and hindering effects on the skeleton, depending on the concentration and frequency of ethanol intake.
