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This version published online on December 6, 2007
Endocrinology, doi:10.1210/en.2007-1427
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Submitted on October 10, 2007
Accepted on November 28, 2007

Melatonin Stimulates the Release of Growth Hormone and Prolactin by a Possible Induction of the Expression of Frog Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide (fGRP) and Its Related Peptide-2 (fGRP-RP-2) in the Amphibian Hypothalamus

Vishwajit S. Chowdhury, Kazutoshi Yamamoto, Izumi Saeki, Itaru Hasunuma, Taichi Shimura, and Kazuyoshi Tsutsui*

Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Faculty of Education and Integrated Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo 169-8050, Japan

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: k-tsutsui{at}waseda.jp.

We recently identified a novel hypothalamic neuropeptide stimulating GH release in bullfrogs and termed it frog GH-releasing peptide (fGRP). The fGRP precursor encodes fGRP and its related peptides (fGRP-RP-1, -RP-2, and -RP-3) and fGRP-RP-2 also stimulates GH and PRL release. Cell bodies and terminals containing these neuropeptides are localized in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and median eminence (ME), respectively. To understand the physiological role of fGRP and fGRP-RP-2, we investigated the mechanisms that regulate the expression of these neuropeptides. This study shows that melatonin induces the expression of fGRP and fGRP-RPs in bullfrogs. Orbital enucleation combined with pinealectomy (Ex plus Px) decreased the expression of fGRP precursor mRNA and content of mature fGRP and fGRP-RPs in the diencephalon including the SCN and ME. Conversely, melatonin administration to Ex plus Px bullfrogs increased dose-dependently their expressions. The expression of fGRP precursor mRNA was photoperiodically controlled and increased under short-day photoperiods, when the nocturnal duration of melatonin secretion increases. To clarify the mode of melatonin action on the induction of fGRP and fGRP-RPs, we further demonstrated the expression of Mel1b, a melatonin receptor subtype, in SCN neurons expressing fGRP precursor mRNA. Finally, we investigated circulating GH and PRL levels after melatonin manipulation, because fGRP and fGRP-RP-2 stimulate the release of GH and GH/PRL, respectively. Ex plus Px decreased plasma GH and PRL concentrations, whereas melatonin administration increased these hormone levels. These results suggest that melatonin induces the expression of fGRP and fGRP-RP-2, thus stimulating the release of GH and PRL in bullfrogs.


Key words: melatonin • frog growth hormone-releasing peptide • growth hormone • prolactin • pineal gland • hypothalamus • frog







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