This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Seal, L. J. Articles by Bloom, S. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Seal, L. J. Articles by Bloom, S. R.

Prolactin Releasing Peptide (PrRP) Stimulates Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) via a Hypothalamic Mechanism in Male Rats

Endocrine Unit, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, United Kingdom

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Stephen R. Bloom, M.D., Imperial College at Hammersmit Campus, Du Cane Road, 6th Floor Commonwealth Building, Division of Investigative Science, London, United Kingdom W12 0NN.

Prolactin releasing peptide (PrRP) was originally isolated as an endogenous hypothalamic ligand for the hGR3 orphan receptor. It has been shown to release prolactin from dispersed pituitaries harvested from lactating female rats and only at very high doses in cycling females. PrRP is reported to have no effect on prolactin production from dispersed pituitary cells harvested from males. The CNS distribution of this peptide suggested a role for PrRP in the control of the hypothalamo-pituitary axis. The aim of this study was to examine the actions of PrRP (1–31) on circulating pituitary hormones following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection in male rats and to investigate the mechanism of PrRP’s effect by measurement of hypothalamic releasing factors in vitro. In our experiments, PrRP (1–31) did not release LH, FSH, TSH, growth hormone or prolactin directly from dispersed male pituitary cells in vitro. We have shown for the first time that following ICV injection of PrRP (1–31) 5 nmol there was a highly significant simulation of plasma LH that began at 10 minutes and was maintained over the course of the experiment (at 60 minutes PrRP 5 nmol 2.2 ± 0.2 vs. saline 0.5 ± 0.1 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Plasma FSH increased at 20 minutes following ICV injection (PrRP 5 nmol 10.8 ± 2.0 ng/ml vs. saline 5.1 ± 0.5, p < 0.01). Total plasma testosterone increased at 60 minutes post injection (PrRP 5 nmol 9.2 ± 1.6 vs. saline 3.5 ± 0.6 nmol/l, p < 0.01). There was no significant alteration in plasma prolactin levels. PrRP significantly increased the release of LHRH from hypothalamic explants in vitro (PrRP 100 nmol/l 180.5 ± 34.5% of the basal secretion, p < 0.05). PrRP (100 nmol/l) also increased the following hypothalamic peptides involved in the control of pituitary hormone release, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) 188.1 ± 24.6% and galanin 153.8 ± 13.0% (both p < 0.001 vs. basal secretion) but had no effect on orexin A secretion. These results suggest a role for PrRP in the control of gonadotrophin secretion acting via a hypothalamic mechanism involving the release of LHRH.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. R. Patel, K. G. Murphy, E. L. Thompson, M. Patterson, A. E. Curtis, M. A. Ghatei, and S. R. Bloom Pyroglutamylated RFamide Peptide 43 Stimulates the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal Axis via Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone in Rats Endocrinology, September 1, 2008; 149(9): 4747 - 4754. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Moriyama, M. Kasahara, N. Amiya, A. Takahashi, M. Amano, S. A. Sower, K. Yamamori, and H. Kawauchi RFamide Peptides Inhibit the Expression of Melanotropin and Growth Hormone Genes in the Pituitary of an Agnathan, the Sea Lamprey, Petromyzon marinus Endocrinology, August 1, 2007; 148(8): 3740 - 3749. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. A. Bechtold and S. M. Luckman Prolactin-Releasing Peptide Mediates Cholecystokinin-Induced Satiety in Mice Endocrinology, October 1, 2006; 147(10): 4723 - 4729. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. M. Navarro, R. Fernandez-Fernandez, R. Nogueiras, E. Vigo, S. Tovar, N. Chartrel, O. Le Marec, J. Leprince, E. Aguilar, L. Pinilla, et al. Novel role of 26RFa, a hypothalamic RFamide orexigenic peptide, as putative regulator of the gonadotropic axis J. Physiol., May 15, 2006; 573(1): 237 - 249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Grabauskas, S.-Y. Zhou, S. Das, Y. Lu, C. Owyang, and H. C Moises Prolactin-releasing peptide affects gastric motor function in rat by modulating synaptic transmission in the dorsal vagal complex J. Physiol., December 15, 2004; 561(3): 821 - 839. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. B. Lawrence, Y.-L. Liu, M. J. Stock, and S. M. Luckman Anorectic actions of prolactin-releasing peptide are mediated by corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, January 1, 2004; 286(1): R101 - R107. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. Moriyama, T. Ito, A. Takahashi, M. Amano, S. A. Sower, T. Hirano, K. Yamamori, and H. Kawauchi A Homolog of Mammalian PRL-Releasing Peptide (Fish Arginyl-Phenylalanyl-Amide Peptide) Is a Major Hypothalamic Peptide of PRL Release in Teleost Fish Endocrinology, June 1, 2002; 143(6): 2071 - 2079. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. B. Lawrence, K. L. J. Ellacott, and S. M. Luckman PRL-Releasing Peptide Reduces Food Intake and May Mediate Satiety Signaling Endocrinology, February 1, 2002; 143(2): 360 - 367. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. S. Lin, A. C. Arai, Z. Wang, H.-P. Nothacker, and O. Civelli The Carboxyl Terminus of the Prolactin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Interacts with PDZ Domain Proteins Involved in alpha -Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic Acid Receptor Clustering Mol. Pharmacol., November 1, 2001; 60(5): 916 - 923. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. J. Seal, C. J. Small, W. S. Dhillo, S. A. Stanley, C. R. Abbott, M. A. Ghatei, and S. R. Bloom PRL-Releasing Peptide Inhibits Food Intake in Male Rats via the Dorsomedial Hypothalamic Nucleus and not the Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus Endocrinology, October 1, 2001; 142(10): 4236 - 4243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Iijima, Y. Matsumoto, T. Yano, M. Tanaka, T. Yamamoto, K. Kakihara, Y. Kataoka, Y. Tamada, H. Matsumoto, N. Suzuki, et al. A Novel Function of Prolactin-Releasing Peptide in the Control of Growth Hormone via Secretion of Somatostatin from the Hypothalamus Endocrinology, July 1, 2001; 142(7): 3239 - 3243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Rubinek, M. Hadani, G. Barkai, S. Melmed, and I. Shimon Prolactin (PRL)-Releasing Peptide Stimulates PRL Secretion from Human Fetal Pituitary Cultures and Growth Hormone Release from Cultured Pituitary Adenomas J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2001; 86(6): 2826 - 2830. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Maruyama, H. Matsumoto, K. Fujiwara, J. Noguchi, C. Kitada, M. Fujino, and K. Inoue Prolactin-Releasing Peptide as a Novel Stress Mediator in the Central Nervous System Endocrinology, May 1, 2001; 142(5): 2032 - 2038. [Abstract] [Full Text]