Melatonin, the major hormone produced by the pineal gland, displays characteristic daily and seasonal patterns of secretion. These robust and predictable rhythms in circulating melatonin are strong synchronizers for the expression of numerous physiological processes in photoperiodic species. In mammals, the nighttime production of melatonin is mainly driven by the circadian clock, situated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, which controls the release of norepinephrine from the dense pineal sympathetic afferents. The pivotal role of norepinephrine in the nocturnal stimulation of melatonin synthesis has been extensively dissected at the cellular and molecular levels. Besides the noradrenergic input, the presence of numerous other transmitters originating from various sources has been reported in the pineal gland. Many of these are neuropeptides and appear to contribute to the regulation of melatonin synthesis by modulating the effects of norepinephrine on pineal biochemistry. The aim of this review is firstly to update our knowledge of the cellular and molecular events underlying the noradrenergic control of melatonin synthesis; and secondly to gather together early and recent data on the effects of the nonadrenergic transmitters on modulation of melatonin synthesis. This information reveals the variety of inputs that can be integrated by the pineal gland; what elements are crucial to deliver the very precise timing information to the organism. This also clarifies the role of these various inputs in the seasonal variation of melatonin synthesis and their subsequent physiological function.

Generation of the Melatonin Endocrine Message in Mammals: A Review of the Complex Regulation of Melatonin Synthesis by Norepinephrine, Peptides, and Other Pineal Transmitters

Introduction ON JUNE 24, 1971, Andrew V. Schally announced the determination of the primary structure of porcine GnRH at The Endocrine Society Meeting in San Francisco. This announcement was followed by publications by Matsuo et al. (1, 2) and Baba et al. (3) on the proposed amino acid sequence for porcine GnRH and its synthesis and by Burgus et al. (4) who characterized ovine GnRH and found the sequence to be identical with that of porcine GnRH. The physiological and therapeutic importance attributed to the discovery of the new substance was greatly increased by the prospect of the design of potent and long acting GnRH agonists and antagonists. Since that time more than 2000 analogs of GnRH have been synthesized. The impact of research of GnRH and its analogs on clinical medicine recently led Ziporyn (5) to note, “There's almost no subspecialty of medicine that will be left untouched by the [research] advances associated with LHRH or its analogs.” It is the intent of this article to provide a historical ...

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog design. Structure-function studies toward the development of agonists and antagonists: rationale and perspective.

Peptides and the blood-brain barrier: lipophilicity as a predictor of permeability.

Peptides and the blood-brain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) provides a vast interface for cytokines to affect CNS function. The BBB is a target for therapeutic intervention. It is essential, therefore, to understand how cytokines interact with each other at the level of the BBB and how secondary signals modulate CNS functions beyond the BBB. The interactions between cytokines and lipids, however, have not been fully addressed at the level of the BBB. Here, we summarize current understanding of the localization of cytokine receptors and transporters in specific membrane microdomains, particularly lipid rafts, on the luminal (apical) surface of the microvascular endothelial cells composing the BBB. We then illustrate the clinical context of cytokine effects on the BBB by neuroendocrine regulation and amplification of inflammatory signals. Two unusual aspects discussed are signaling crosstalk by different classes of cytokines and genetic regulation of drug efflux transporters. We also introduce a novel area of focus on how cytokines may act through nuclear hormone receptors to modulate efflux transporters and other targets. A specific example discussed is the ATP-binding cassette transporter-1 (ABCA-1) that regulates lipid metabolism. Overall, cytokine signaling at the level of the BBB is a crucial feature of the dynamic regulation that can rapidly change BBB function and affect brain health and disease.

Cytokine Signaling Modulates Blood-Brain Barrier Function

Distribution of 3H-α-MSH in rat brain

Synthesis and biological activity of LH-RH antagonists modified in position 1.

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Distribution of 3H-α-MSH in rat brain

Synthesis and biological activity of LH-RH antagonists modified in position 1.