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R. L. Kennedy
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T. H. Jones
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R. Davies
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S. K. Justice
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N. R. Lemoine
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ABSTRACT

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has actions on a variety of endocrine tissues. The cytokine is secreted by cells of the anterior pituitary and endocrine pancreas and has recently been shown to be produced by cultures of thyroid epithelial cells. In this study we have examined some of the factors which regulate IL-6 release from an immortalized human thyroid line (HTori3).

IL-6 release over 24 h was stimulated by TSH (5000 μU/ml), by forskolin (0·01 mmol/l), by fetal calf serum (1–20%) and by epidermal growth factor (20 ng/ml). Stimulation was also apparent with γ-interferon and with tumour necrosis factor at concentrations known to enhance class II major histocompatibility antigen expression by thyroid epithelium. The most potent factor tested was interleukin-1 (IL-1), which controls IL-6 release from other cell types. Threefold stimulation was found with 1 U/ml rising to 350-fold with 1000 U/ml. The effect of IL-1 took 2 h to develop and was blocked by cycloheximide (100 μmol/l). Stimulation was not markedly inhibited by pertussis toxin. Many of the actions of IL-1 are mediated by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). At concentrations as low as 30 nmol/l, PGE2 stimulated IL-6 release but the maximum stimulation obtained with PGE2 was only threefold. The effect of IL-1 was not inhibited by indomethacin.

These data provide further evidence that IL-6 is produced by human thyrocytes. The effect of IL-1 has not been demonstrated previously. Stimulation of IL-6 release by IL-1 did not appear to be mediated by prostaglandin. IL-6 may influence hormone release from the thyroid as it does in other tissues. High concentrations of IL-6 in the thyroid may increase infiltration by, and activation of, lymphocytes in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease.

Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 133, 477–482

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A. J. S. Summerlee
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K. T. O'Byrne
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S. A. Jones
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L. Eltringham
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ABSTRACT

Experiments were carried out on anaesthetized, lactating rats to investigate the possible role of the subfornical organ in mediating relaxin-induced inhibition of reflex milk ejection. Milk ejection was judged by the behavioural response of the sucklings and by transient rises in intramammary pressure. Radiofrequency lesions of the subfornical organ, or control lesions in adjacent areas of the cerebrum, did not affect the pattern or the magnitude of intramammary pressure changes at reflex milk ejection. Purified porcine relaxin given by either i.v. (5 μg) or intracerebroventricular (50 ng) injection suppressed reflex milk ejection in intact, sham-lesioned and control-lesioned rats, but had no effect on either the pattern or magnitude of reflex milk ejection in rats with lesions of the subfornical organ. The subfornical organ, which is situated at the interface between the blood, brain and the cerebrospinal fluid appears to mediate, at least in part, the relaxin-induced inhibition of reflex milk ejection in the rat.

J. Endocr. (1987) 115, 347–353

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H. L. BUTTLE
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A. T. COWIE
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E. A. JONES
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A. TURVEY
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Mammogenesis in primiparous hypophysectomized goats has been assessed between days 60 and 120 of gestation and compared with that found in untreated goats and goats treated with 5 mg bromocriptine/day. There were fivefold increases in the weight of lobulo-alveolar tissue in the hypophysectomized and bromocriptine-treated goats and a tenfold increase in the untreated goats. Histological examination of the mammary glands at 120 days showed normal structure, and determinations of lactose, lactose synthetase, cytosol enzymes, protein, DNA and RNA indicated qualitatively normal initiation of milk synthetic capabilities in both the hypophysectomized and bromocriptine-treated goats. Bromocriptine treatment lowered the plasma concentration of placental lactogen as well as that of prolactin.

The results indicate that placental lactogen has important mammogenic effects during pregnancy.

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A. R. BOYNS
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GWYNETH E. JONES
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E. T. BELL
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D. W. CHRISTIE
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M. F. PARKES
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SUMMARY

A double antibody radioimmunoassay for canine luteinizing hormone (LH) was devised. The assay can measure immunoreactive LH in the peripheral plasma of the normal male and female dog. An increase in hormone concentration was found on the 2nd day of oestrus in the female. Ovariectomy raised plasma concentrations of the hormone to levels greater than those observed during oestrus. The administration of LH-releasing factor induced a rapid increase in the plasma concentrations of LH.

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M. T. JONES
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B. GILLHAM
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M. C. HOLMES
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J. R. HODGES
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J. C. BUCKINGHAM
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Sherrington School of Physiology and Biochemistry Department, St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, London, SEI and * Department of Pharmacology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, WC1

(Received 26 August 1977)

Substance P is present in the hypothalamus in relatively high concentrations. Its release is K+-evoked and Ca2+-dependent (Iversen, Jessell & Kanazawa, 1976) and it may be a neurotransmitter substance in the hypothalamus. We have tested its effect on secretion of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF) by the hypothalamus in vitro and on production of corticotrophin (ACTH) by the anterior pituitary gland of the rat both in vivo and in vitro.

Production of CRF by rat hypothalami in vitro was stimulated by 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) or acetylcholine (Gillham, Jones, Hillhouse & Burden, 1975; Buckingham & Hodges, 1977a) in the presence and absence of substance P. The activity of CRF was estimated by measuring cytochemically (Alghband-Zadeh, Daly, Bitensky & Chayen, 1974) the ACTH which

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C. T. JONES
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J. W. K. RITCHIE
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A. P. F. FLINT
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SUMMARY

The effect of repeated increases in plasma ACTH on the production of corticosteroids and androstenedione in the sheep foetus has been investigated. Elevation of foetal plasma ACTH for up to 2 h every 24 h by repeated periods of hypoxia increased the output of cortisol. No consistent effects on foetal or maternal androstenedione concentrations or on maternal oestrogen levels were observed. Repeated short periods of increased foetal plasma ACTH concentration may promote maturation of the foetal adrenal, but there is no increase in androgen secretion by the gland nor is there an increase in oestrogen production by the placenta under such conditions.

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C. T. JONES
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K. BODDY
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J. S. ROBINSON
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J. G. RATCLIFFE
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SUMMARY

The change in plasma ACTH and corticosteroid concentrations in response to a 60 min period of hypoxaemia were studied in foetal and adult sheep during the latter half of pregnancy. Hypoxaemia consistently caused large rises in the concentration of ACTH in foetal plasma, the magnitude of which did not change with gestational age but was related to the physiological state of the foetus. Before 139 days small and slow rises in corticosteroid (predominantly cortisol) concentration in foetal plasma were observed during hypoxaemia, and these may have been of maternal origin. After 139 days, hypoxaemia caused a rapid and large rise in the concentration of cortisol and corticosterone in foetal plasma, which was largely of foetal origin. Hypoxaemia caused no consistent change in maternal plasma ACTH concentration but was associated with progressive increases in plasma cortisol concentrations. The cortisol:corticosterone ratio in foetal plasma was 1·5 before 139 days and increased to 4·1 several days before term which was lower than the value of 9 in maternal plasma. Small concentrations of 11-deoxycortisol and cortisone were detected in maternal and foetal plasma, the changes of which were small during hypoxaemia.

The results indicate that a maturational change in the sensitivity of the foetal adrenal to endogenous ACTH occurs several days before term.

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R. LUMLEY JONES
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G. BENKER
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P. R. SALACINSKI
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T. J. LLOYD
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P. J. LOWRY
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SUMMARY

A method is described for the large-scale isolation of highly purified human growth hormone for therapeutic use. The hormone was extracted from frozen pituitary glands under mildly alkaline conditions. Purification was effected by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The final product was pyrogen-free and had a potency of 2·5 i.u./mg measured by bioassay against the current international standard. The yield of growth hormone/gland was approximately 5 mg.

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P. ADAMS
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T. M. CHALMERS
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B. L. RIGGS JR.
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J. D. JONES
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SUMMARY

Calcium and phosphorus metabolism were studied in 22 patients with spontaneous primary hypothyroidism. Two patients were found to have hypercalcaemia but the mean serum calcium concentration of the group was significantly less than that of control subjects. The renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate was decreased and could be increased to normal with small calcium infusions. The response to calcium deprivation and to infusions of EDTA was abnormal and suggested an impaired ability to mobilize calcium from bone. There was a significant correlation between the defect in calcium mobilization, as judged from the response to EDTA, and the renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate.

In three patients serum parathyroid hormone concentrations, measured by radioimmunoassay, were in the upper part of the normal range.

It is suggested that in patients with hypothyroidism the target cells in bone are less responsive to the effects of parathyroid hormone than normal; as a consequence parathyroid hormone secretion may be increased.

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M. C. Holmes
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G. Di Renzo
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U. Beckford
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B. Gillham
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M. T. Jones
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The status of serotonin as a putative neurotransmitter involved in the control of the secretion of corticotrophin-releasing activity from the rat hypothalamus has been further investigated. The experimental model used for the investigation was the rat hypothalamus incubated in vitro. It was confirmed that serotonin causes a dose-related release of corticotrophin-releasing activity from the tissue and it was shown that this effect was mimicked by the addition to the tissue of chlorimipramine or d-fenfluramine, two drugs expected to cause an increase in the concentration of serotonin in the synaptic cleft. The effect of the latter drug was greatly reduced by the simultaneous addition of either methysergide or metergoline.

Destruction of serotonin-containing nerve terminals in the hypothalamus was caused by the intraventricular administration of the neurotoxic drug 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine. This treatment resulted in an 84% reduction of the serotonin concentration in the hypothalamus 12 days later. Hypothalami taken from animals 12 days after treatment with the drug secreted corticotrophin-releasing activity in basal amounts equal to those found in tissues taken from control rats, but showed supersensitivity in response to added serotonin. No such supersensitivity was seen in response to d-fenfluramine and a diminished response to chlorimipramine was noted. Despite its intraventricular route of administration, 5,7dihydroxytryptamine was found to increase the sensitivity of segments of anterior pituitary gland in vitro to low doses of preparations containing corticotrophin releasing factor.

These results are consistent with the view that endogenous serotonin can act as a stimulator of the secretion of corticotrophin-releasing activity from the rat hypothalamus. They also suggest that conclusions about the control of the release of this trophic material inferred from measurements of corticotrophin or corticosterone in the circulation must be viewed with caution when the drug 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine has been used, because of the development of supersensitivity both in the hypothalamus and in the anterior pituitary gland.

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