Induction of adrenomedullin by hypoxia in cultured retinal pigment epithelial cells.

PURPOSE: To explore the effects of hypoxia on the production and secretion of adrenomedullin (ADM) and endothelin (ET)-1 in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. METHODS: RPE cells were cultured under normoxic or hypoxic (1% O2) conditions. Expression of ADM and ET-1 was examined by Northern blot analysis and radioimmunoassay. Effects of ADM and ET-1 on the number of RPE cells were examined by modified 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. RESULTS: ADM mRNA expression levels and immunoreactive ADM levels in the medium were increased by hypoxia in all three human RPE cell lines (ARPE-19, D407, and F-0202). Immunoreactive ET was detected in the cultured media of D407 cells and ARPE-19 cells and identified as ET-1 by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Hypoxia treatment for 48 hours increased immunoreactive ET levels approximately 1.3-fold in the cultured media of D407, but not ARPE-19 cells. Hypoxia decreased the number of ARPE-19 cells and F-0202 cells, and the treatment with ADM ameliorated the hypoxia-induced decrease in the cell number. In contrast, exogenously added ET-1 had no significant effects on the number of ARPE-19 cells under normoxia and hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia increased the expression of ADM in all three human RPE cell lines, whereas the induction of ET-1 by hypoxia was found only in D407 cells. ADM induced by hypoxia may have protective roles against hypoxic cell damage in RPE cells.

Regional distribution of immunoreactive prolactin-releasing peptide in the human brain.

Regional distribution of prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP) in the human brain was studied by radioimmunoassay. The antiserum raised against human PrRP-31 in a rabbit was used in the assay, which showed 100% cross reaction with PrRP-20 and no significant cross reaction with other peptides. The highest concentrations of immunoreactive-PrRP were found in hypothalamus (912 +/- 519 fmol/g wet weight, n = 6, mean +/- SEM), followed by medulla oblongata (496 +/- 136 fmol/g wet weight) and thalamus (307 +/- 117 fmol/g wet weight). On the other hand, immunoreactive-PrRP was not detected in frontal lobe or temporal lobe (<50 fmol/g wet weight). Sephadex G50 column chromatography of the immunoreactive-PrRP in the hypothalamus and medulla oblongata showed three immunoreactive peaks; one peak eluting in the position of PrRP-20, one eluting in the position of PrRP-31 and one eluting earlier. Reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of these brain tissue extracts showed a peak eluting in the position of PrRP-20 and PrRP-31. The present study has shown for the first time the presence of immunoreactive-PrRP in the human brain. The immunoreactive-PrRP levels in the human hypothalamus were, however, lower than the levels of other neuropeptides with prolactin-releasing activity, such as thyrotropin-releasing hormone and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide.

Secretion of endothelin-1 and adrenomedullin by SW-13 human adrenocortical carcinoma cells.

The adrenal medulla and pheochromocytomas are known to secrete various neuropeptides and vasoactive peptides. On the other hand, the production and secretion of peptides by adrenocortical tumors have not been studied in detail. The study reported here therefore set out to examine these two functions for two vasoactive peptides, endothelin-1 (ET-1) and adrenomedullin (ADM) in SW-13 human adrenocortical carcinoma cells by radioimmunoassay and Northern blot analysis. Both immunoreactive ET (irET) and irADM were detected in the culture medium of SW-13 cells. Northern blot analysis showed the expression of ET-1 and ADM mRNAs in SW-13 cells. On the other hand, no significant amounts of calcironin-gene-related peptide, corricotropin-releasing-hormone, neuropeptide Y or urocorlin were secreted by SW-13 cells. This study has shown that ET-1 and ADM are the two unique vasoactive peptides that are produced and secreted by adrenocortical carcinoma cells.

Production and secretion of two vasoactive peptides, adrenomedullin and endothelin-1, by cultured human adrenocortical carcinoma cells.

The production and secretion of peptides by adrenocortical tumors have not been well studied. We therefore studied the production and secretion of two vasoactive peptides, adrenomedullin and endothelin-1 in SW-13 human adrenocortical carcinoma cells by radioimmunoassay and Northern blot analysis. Both immunoreactive-adrenomedullin and immunoreactive-endothelin were detected in the culture medium of SW-13 cells (27.7 +/- 1.6 fmol/10 (5) cells/24 h and 11.0 +/- 0.8 fmol/10 (5) cells/24 h, respectively, mean +/- SEM, n = 6). Northern blot analysis showed the expression of adrenomedullin mRNA and endothelin-1 mRNA in SW-13 cells. On the other hand, no significant amount of calcitonin gene-related peptide, corticotropin-releasing hormone, neuropeptide Y, or urocortin was secreted by SW-13 cells. Treatment with ACTH (10(-9)-10(-7) mol/l), angiotensin II (10(-9)-10(-7) mol/l), or dexamethasone (10(-8)-10(-6) mol/l) for 24 h had no significant effects on immunoreactive-adrenomedullin levels and immunoreactive-endothelin levels in the culture medium of SW-13. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha (20 ng/ml) increased significantly both immunoreactive-adrenomedullin levels and immunoreactive-endothelin levels in the culture medium. Interferon-gamma (100 U/ml) increased the immunoreactive-endothelin levels, but not immunoreactive-adrenomedullin levels, whereas interleukin-1 (IL-1)beta (10 ng/ml) increased immunoreactive-adrenomedullin levels, but not immunoreactive-endothelin levels. These findings indicate that SW-13 human adrenocortical carcinoma cells produce and secrete two vasoactive peptides, adrenomedullin, and endothelin-1 and that the secretion of these two peptides is modulated differently by cytokines.

Increased secretion of adrenomedullin from cultured human astrocytes by cytokines.

Adrenomedullin, originally discovered from pheochromocytoma, is a member of the calcitonin gene-related peptide family. The production and secretion of adrenomedullin by cultured human astrocytes were studied by northern blot analysis and radioimmunoassay. Northern blot analysis showed the expression of adrenomedullin mRNA in cultured human astrocytes. Immunoreactive adrenomedullin concentrations in the culture medium were 29.6+/-1.2 fmol/10(5) cells/24 h (mean +/- SEM, n = 4). Treatment with interferon-gamma (100 U/ml), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (1 and 10 ng/ml), or interleukin-1beta (1 and 10 ng/ml) for 24 h caused >20-fold increases in immunoreactive adrenomedullin levels in the culture medium of human astrocytes. On the other hand, northern blot analysis showed only small increases (approximately 40%) in the adrenomedullin mRNA expression of human astrocytes with either 100 U/ml interferon-gamma or 10 ng/ml interleukin-1beta and no noticeable change with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Reverse phase HPLC of the medium extracts of human astrocytes treated with interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or interleukin-1beta showed that most of immunoreactive adrenomedullin was eluted in the position of adrenomedullin-(1-52). On the other hand, immunoreactive adrenomedullin in the medium of human astrocytes without cytokine treatment was eluted earlier than the adrenomedullin standard, suggesting that this immunoreactive adrenomedullin represents adrenomedullin with some modifications or fragments of the adrenomedullin precursor. The present study has shown the production and secretion of adrenomedullin by human astrocytes and increased secretion of adrenomedullin by cytokines.