We have developed a fetal rat hypothalamic cell culture system for the study of factors controlling the acute release of TRH. Release of TRH by the cells has been characterized by reversed-phase high pressure liquid chromatography and about 86% of the total immunoreactivity in the medium co-eluted with synthetic TRH. Release of TRH by the cells in response to 56 mmol K+/l increased between days 5 and 9 of culture but reached a plateau thereafter. Cell contents of TRH did not change significantly between days 5 and 14 of culture.
Release of TRH from the cells was stimulated by K+ (56 mmol/l), veratridine (100 μmol/l) and ouabain (100 μmol/l) to 550, 480 and 335% of basal release respectively over a 1-h period. Release of TRH was dependent upon calcium in that it was absent when calcium-free medium was used and could be blocked by verapamil (20 μmol/l); however it could not be blocked by nifedipine (50 μmol/l). The calcium ionophore A23187 (1 μmol/l) stimulated TRH release to 340% of basal release. Tetrodotoxin (1 μmol/l) completely abolished the release in response to veratridine but had no effect on the release stimulated by K+ (56 mmol/l).
The calmodulin antagonists trifluoperazine and triflupromazine (50 μmol/l) inhibited veratridine-stimulated TRH release. This was at a site after calcium influx as they also inhibited A23187-stimulated TRH release. The highly specific calmodulin antagonist W7 (10 μmol/l) also inhibited both veratridine and A23187-stimulated TRH release whereas, at the same concentration, its inactive analogue W5 did not significantly inhibit TRH release in response to either stimulus.
These results confirm that fetal rat hypothalamic cell cultures release authentic TRH which can be stimulated by a number of depolarizing agents. Calcium is essential for depolarization-induced release which is also dependent on calmodulin. Fetal rat hypothalamic cell cultures are a valid model for the study of factors controlling the release of TRH.
J. Endocr. (1987) 115, 255–262
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