Endocrinology, Vol 137, 5311-5318, Copyright © 1996 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Localization, identification, and action of galanin in the frog adrenal gland

S Gasman, H Vaudry, F Cartier, G Tramu, A Fournier, JM Conlon and C Delarue
European Institute for Peptide Research, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, INSERM U-413, UA Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Rouen, Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.

The distribution of galanin-like immunoreactivity was studied in the adrenal gland of the frog Rana ridibunda using the indirect immunofluorescence technique. A dense network of varicose fibers immunoreactive to galanin was found in the adrenal tissue. A combination of HPLC analysis and RIA detection was used to characterize galanin-like immunoreactivity in frog adrenal gland extracts. The elution profile revealed the existence of a single form of galanin exhibiting the same retention time as synthetic frog galanin. The possible involvement of galanin in the regulation of corticosteroid secretion was investigated in vitro using a perifusion system for frog adrenal slices. For concentrations ranging from 10(-9) to 3 x 10(-6) M, synthetic frog galanin induced a dose-dependent inhibition of corticosterone and aldosterone release. Repeated pulses of galanin (10(- 6) M), given at 90-min intervals, resulted in a reproducible inhibition of corticosteroid secretion without any apparent tachyphylaxis. During prolonged administration of galanin (10(-6) M), the steroidogenic effect of ACTH (10(-9) M) was significantly reduced. In contrast, galanin did not attenuate the stimulation of corticosteroid secretion induced by the angiotensin II analog [Sar1,Val5]angiotensin II. These results show the occurrence of galanin in fibers innervating the frog adrenal gland. The data also demonstrate that synthetic galanin inhibits spontaneous and ACTH-induced corticosteroid release. Taken together, these findings suggest that galanin, released by nerve fibers in the adrenal tissue, can act locally as a modulator of steroid secretion.

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