• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제4권2호
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• pp.237-242
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• 2000

흰쥐 시상하부에서 합성ㆍ분비되어 뇌하수체 전엽에서의 growth hormone (GH) 분비를 촉진하는 growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH)이 시상하부 이외 조직들 (extrahypothalamic tissues)인 태반, 생식소, 그리고 뇌하수체 전엽에서도 발현됨이 보고되었다. 본 연구는 흰쥐 뇌하수체 전엽에서 발현되는 GHRH의 기능을 조사하기 위해 i)세포 배양을 시행하면서 GHRH의 세포내 함량, 분비 그리고 세포분획법 (cell-fractionation)을 사용하여 분리한 뇌하수체 세포 유형별로 GHRH 함량을 방사면역측정법으로 조사하였고, ii)체외배양 중인 뇌하수체 전엽세포의 증식에 미치는 GHRH의 효과를 측정하기 위해 [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation assay를, 그리고 iii) GHRH의 세포분열 촉진 효과와 세포내 c-fos 유전자 발현과의 상관관계를 조사하기 위해 northern blot analysis를 시행하였다. GHRH 방사면역측정법을 시행한 결과 상당량의 GHRH-like 분자들이 흰쥐 뇌하수체 전엽내에 존재하고, 체외 세포배양시 분비됨을 관찰하였다. 세포분획을 사용한 실험에서 GHRH 함량은 gonadotrope, somatotrope, lactotrope 그리고 thyrotrope 순으로 나타났다. 이 러한 결과는 흰쥐 뇌하수체 전엽에서 생성된 GHRH가 국부적인 조절인자, 특히 상이한 유형의 세포들 간의 상호조절 (cross-talk)을 통해 뇌하수체 전엽에서의 세포분열과 분화, 그리고 기능조절에 관여할 가능성을 보여주었다. GHRH는 체외 배양중인 뇌하수체 전엽세포의 [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation을 농도의존적으로 증가시켰으며, 이러한 GHRH의 세포분열 촉진 효과는 예상대로 세포내 oncogene 활성 의 증가를 통해 일어나는 것임을 c-fos northrn blot으로 확인하였다. 결론적으로, 본 연구는 흰쥐 뇌하수체 전엽에서 합성되는 GHRH가 paracrine 또는 autocrine 기작으로 GH의 분비 촉진 이외에도 세포분열의 조절함을 시사하는 것이다.

• 한국발생생물학회지:발생과생식
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• 제2권2호
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• pp.189-196
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• 1998

Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH)은 척추동물의 시상하부로부터 합성, 분비되어 시상하부-뇌하수체간의 문맥계를 통해 뇌하수체 전엽에 작용하여 Growth Hormone (GH)의 분비를 촉진한다. 시상하부에서 발현되는 일부 Releasing Hormone 들이 여러 시상하부외 조직에서도 검출되고 조직특이적인 기능을 수행한다는 사실이 여러 연구자들에 의해 밝혀졌다. 이러한 사실들을 배경으로 본 연구자는 GHRH가 흰쥐의 뇌하수체 전엽과 뇌하수체로부터 유래된 종양세포주들에서 발현될 가능성을 조사하였다. GHRH 펩타이드와 mRNA의 존재와 구조를 규명하기 위하여 뇌하수체와 배양 세포를 사용하여 GHRH immunocytochemistry, 방사면역측정법, GHRH PCR과 RNase protection assay를 시행하였다. Immunocytochemistry의 결과 gonadotrope (대형)와 somat-olactotrope (중간형)로 추정되는 세포들에서 GHRH 염색이 나타났고, Somatolactotrope성 종양세포인 GH3 cell 추출물에서 immunoreactive GHRH가 방사면역측정법으로 검출되었다. 3'rapid amplification of cDNA end (3'-RACE)를 시행한 결과, 흰쥐 뇌하수체에 GHRH transcript가 존재하고, 그 3'end 부분이 다른 조직내의 GHRH와 동일함을 확인하였다. GHRH RT-PCR에서도 뇌하수체와 종양세포주들인 $\alpha$T3 cell (gonadotrope성)과 GH3 cell에서 예상 산물들이 증폭되었다. RNase protection assay를 시행한 결과 난소절제에 의해 뇌하수체내 GHRH 유전자 발현이 증가됨을 확인하였다. 이상의 결과는 GHRH가 뇌하수체 전엽의 gonadotrope와 somatotrope에서 발현되고, paracrine 또는 autocrine조절물질로 작용하여 GH 분비 외에도 뇌하수체 전엽 세포들의 분화와 분열등에 관여함을 시사한다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.269-275
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• 1996

Biosynthesis and secretion of anterior pituitary hormones are under the control of specific hypothalamic stimulatory and inhibitory factors. Among them, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is the major stimulator of pituitary somatotrophs activating GH gene expression and secretion. Human GHRH is a polypeptide of 44 amino acids initially isolated from pancreatic tumors, and the gene for the hypothalamic form of GHRH is organized into 5 exons spanning over 10 kilobases (kb) on genomic DNA and encodes a messenger RNA of 700-750 nucleotides. Several neuropeptides classically associated with the hypothalamus have been found in the extrahypothalamic regions, suggesting the existence of novel sources, targets and functions. GHRH-like immunoreactivity has been found in several peripheral sites, including placenta, testis, and ovary, indicating that GHRH may also have regulatory roles in peripheral reproductive organs. Furthermore, higher molecular weight forms of the GHRH transcripts were identified from these organs (1.75 kb in testis; 1.75 and >3 kb in ovary). These tissue-specific expression of GHRH gene suggest the existence of unique regulatory mechanism of GHRH expression and function in these organs. In fact, placenta-specific and testis-specific promoters for GHRH transcripts which are located in about 10 kb upstream region of hypothalamic promoter were reported. The use of unique promoters in extrahypothalamic sites could be refered in a different control of GHRH gene and different functions of the translated products in these tissues. Somatotrophs and lactotrophs have been thought to be derived from a common bipotential progenitor, the somatolactotrophs, which give origins to either phenotypes. Although the precise mechanism responsible for the lactotroph differentiation in the anterior pituitary gland has not been yet clalified, there are several candidators for the generation of lactotrophs. In human, the presence of GHRH peptides with different size from authentic hypothalamic form in the normal anterior pituitary and several types of adenoma were demonstrated. Recently our group found the existence of immunoreactive GHRH and its transcript from the normal rat anterior pituitary (gonadotroph> somatotroph> lactotroph), and the GHRH treatment evoked the increased proliferation rate of anterior pituitary cells in vitro. The transgenic mouse models clearly shown that GHRH or NGF overexpression by anterior pituitary cells induced development of pituitary hyperplasia and adenomas particularly GH-oma and prolactinoma. Taken together, we hypothesize that the pituitary GHRH could serve not only as a modulator of hormone secretion but as a paracrine or autocrine regulator of anterior pituitary cell proliferation and differentiation. Interestingly enough, the expression of Pit-1 homeobox gene (the POU class transcription factor) was confined to somatotrophs, lactotrophs and somatolactotrophs in which GHRH receptors are expressed commonly. Concerning the mechanism of somatolactotroph and lactotroph differentiation in the anterior pituitary, we have focused following two possibilities; (1) changes in the relative levels or interactions of both hypothalamic and intrapituitary factors such as dopamine, VIP, somatostatin, NGF and GHRH; (2) alterations of GHRH-GHRH receptor signaling and Pit-1 activity may be the cause of lactotroph differentiation or pituitary hyperplasia and adenoma formation. Extensive further studies will be necessary to solve these complicated questions.

• 한국동물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물학회 1998년도 한국생물과학협회 학술발표대회
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• pp.230.1-230
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• 1998

No Abstract, See Full Text

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.79-84
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• 2003

We have previously reported that expression of the somatostatin receptor subtypes, sst1-5, is differentially regulated by growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone (GHRH) and forskolin (FSK), in vitro. GHRH binds to membrane receptors selectively located on pituitary somatotropes, activates adenylyl cyclase (AC) and increases sst1 and sst2 and decreases sst5 mRNA levels, without significantly altering the expression of sst3 and sst4. In contrast FSK directly activates AC in all pituitary cell types and increases sst1 and sst2 mRNA levels and decreases sst3, sst4 and sst5 expression. Two explanations could account for these differential effects: 1) GHRH inhibits sst3 and sst4 expression in somatotropes, but this inhibitory effect is masked by expression of these receptors in unresponsive pituitary cell types, and 2) FSK inhibits sst3 and sst4 expression levels in pituitary cell types other than somatotropes. To differentiate between these two possibilities, somatotropes were sequentially labeled with monkey anti-rat GH antiserum, biotinylated goat anti-human IgG, and streptavidin-PE and subsequently purified by fluorescent-activated cell sorting (FACS). The resultant cell population consisted of 95% somatotropes, as determined by GH immunohistochemistry using a primary GH antiserum different from that used for FACS sorting. Purified somatotropes were cultured for 3 days and treated for 4 h with vehicle, GHRH (10 nM) or FSK ($10{\mu}M$). Total RNA was isolated by column extraction and specific receptor mRNA levels were determined by semi-quantitative multiplex RT-PCR. Under basal conditions, the relative expression levels of the various somatostatin receptor subtypes were sst2＞sst5＞sst3=sst1＞ sst4. GHRH treatment increased sst1 and sst2 mRNA levels and decreased sst3, sst4 and sst5 mRNA levels in purified somatotropes, comparable to the effects of FSK on purified somatotropes and mixed pituitary cell cultures. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GHRH acutely modulates the expression of all somatostatin receptor subtypes within GH-producing cells and its actions are likely mediated by activation of AC.

• BMB Reports
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• 제40권6호
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• pp.979-985
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• 2007

Induction of growth hormone (GH) by Glycyrrhizae Radix (GR), one of the most popular herbal medicine, and its major ingredients were studied in rat pituitary cells in vitro and in vivo assay. The MeOH extract and the n-hexane (HX) fraction of GR induced rat GH (rGH) release up to 1.89 times ($0.34{\pm}0.04 nM$) and 4.59 times ($0.83{\pm}0.03 nM$), compared to the basal level (p < 0.05). Among many ingredients isolated and purified from GR both glycyrrhetinic acid and glycyrrhizin induced significantly rGH release compared to the control (p < 0.05). After an intravenous injection of rat growth hormone releasing hormone (rGHRH) ($10{\mu}g$/kg) as positive control, in SD rats, $T_{max}$ of plasma rGH level was 10 min, $C_{max}$ was $3.84{\pm}0.01 nM$ (n = 3), and enhanced plasma rGH level returned to the baseline in 90 min. Both $AUC_{0-90}$ (area under the curve) of plasma rGH level after HX fraction and that after rGHRH administration were increased significantly from the basal level, respectively (p < 0.01). In conclusions, HX fraction is the most active fraction of MeOH extract of GR in rGH induction.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권5호
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• pp.784-788
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• 2007

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), a hypothalamic neuropeptide can stimulate the growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary. In this study, a porcine GHRH expression plasmid pHC-GHRH was used to enhance growth performance through ectopic expressions in muscle tissues of rats. Rats injected with the plasmid of pHC-GHRH and pCMV-GHRH exhibited cumulative weight gains 6.4% and 1% greater than controls. During a 5-day period, significant weight gain differences were observed as follows compared with that of control: during 5-10 days post-injection (DPI) period, the group pHC-GHRH on average 14.5% heavier than controls, $40.73{\pm}0.88$ g vs. $35.57{\pm}1.23$ g (p = 0.0023); during 10-15 DPI period, the group pHC-GHRH on average 13.6% heavier than controls, $37.49{\pm}2.85$ g vs. $33.00{\pm}1.56$ g (p = 0.0146); during 15-20 DPI period, the group pHC-GHRH on average 17.8% heavier than controls, $25.64{\pm}1.39$ g vs. $21.77{\pm}1.27$ g (p<0.05). In addition, plasmids-treated rats maintained higher serum IGF-I than controls. Significant differences of IGF-I were observed on 13 DPI and on 40 DPI in pHC-GHRH group compared with that of controls. This was accomplished through the use of an improved expression cassette that included the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early enhancer/promoter in combination with a 1.5-kilobase portion of porcine ${\alpha}$-skeletal muscle actin promoter.