Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the cat eye

1996 ◽  
Vol 234 (9) ◽  
pp. 573-580 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tor Elsås ◽  
Rolf Uddman ◽  
Frank Sundler
Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 148 (10) ◽  
pp. 5042-5059 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kong Hung Sze ◽  
Hong Zhou ◽  
Yinhua Yang ◽  
Mulan He ◽  
Yonghua Jiang ◽  
...  

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) has been proposed to be the ancestral GHRH. Recently, using grass carp as a model for modern-day bony fish, we demonstrated that PACAP nerve fibers are present in close proximity to carp somatotrophs, and mammalian PACAPs can induce GH secretion in carp pituitary cells. To further examine the role of PACAP as a GH-releasing factor in fish, the structural identity of grass carp PACAP was established by molecular cloning. The newly cloned PACAP was found to be a single-copy gene and expressed in the brain but not other tissues. The mature peptides of PACAP, namely PACAP27 and PACAP38, were synthesized. As revealed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, carp PACAP38 is composed of a flexible N terminal from His1 to Ile5, an extended central helix from Phe6 to Val26, and a short helical tail in the C terminal from Arg29 to Arg34. The C-terminal helix is located after a hinge region at Leu27 to Gly28 and is absent in the solution structures of PACAP27. The two forms of PACAPs were effective in elevating GH release and GH transcript expression in grass carp pituitary cells. These stimulatory effects occurred with parallel rises in cAMP and Ca2+ entry via voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels in carp somatotrophs. The present study represents the first report for solution structures of nonmammalian PACAPs and provides evidence that a brain-specific isoform of PACAP in fish can stimulate GH synthesis and release at the pituitary level, presumably by activating the appropriate postreceptor signaling mechanisms.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (1) ◽  
pp. E108-E117 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. R. Steenstrup ◽  
P. Alm ◽  
J. Hannibal ◽  
J. C. Jorgensen ◽  
C. Palle ◽  
...  

The distribution, localization, and smooth muscle effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) were studied in the human female genital tract. The concentrations of PACAP-38 and PACAP-27 were measured by radioimmunoassays, and both peptides were found throughout the genital tract. The highest concentrations of PACAP-38 were detected in the ovary, the upper part of vagina, and the perineum. The concentrations of PACAP-27 were generally low, in some regions below the detection limit and in other regions 1 to 5% of the PACAP-38 concentrations. Immunocytochemistry revealed that PACAP was located in delicate varicose nerve fibers that were most abundant in the internal cervical os, where they mainly seemed to innervate blood vessels and smooth muscle cells. PACAP-38 and PACAP-27 (10(-10)-10(-6) M) caused a concentration-dependent relaxation of the spontaneous activity of the nonvascular smooth muscle strips from fallopian tube and myometrium in vitro. Likewise, both peptides (10(-10)-10(-6) M) caused relaxation of nonrepinephrine (10(-6) M)-precontracted intramyometrial arteries. No effect of the PACAP sequences, PACAP-(6-27), PACAP-(16-38), and PACAP-(18-27), on fallopian tube was observed. The findings suggest a smooth muscle regulatory role of PACAP in the human female reproductive tract.


2013 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomir Gonkowski ◽  
Andrzej Rychlik ◽  
Jarosław Całka

Abstract Changes in the density of mucosal pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide-27 -like immunoreactive (PACAP-27 - LI) nerve fibers within various parts of the canine gastrointestinal (GI) tract during inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were investigated. The distribution of nerves were studied, using a single-labelling immunofluorescence technique, in the mucosal layer of canine stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and descending colon. Canine IBD caused an increase in the density of PACAP- 27-LI mucosal nerves in all studied parts of GI tract. The results suggest that PACAP in the nervous system may be involved in pathological processes during IBD.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabor Legradi ◽  
Mahasweta Das ◽  
Brian Giunta ◽  
Khemraj Hirani ◽  
E. Alice Mitchell ◽  
...  

High concentrations of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) nerve fibers are present in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), a brain region implicated in the control of fear-related behavior. This study evaluated PACAPergic modulation of fear responses at the CeA in male Sprague-Dawley rats. PACAP (50–100   pmol) microinfusion via intra-CeA cannulae produced increases in immobility and time the rats spent withdrawn into a corner opposite to the electrified probe compared to controls in the shock-probe fear/defensive burying test. Shock-probe burying and exploration, numbers of shocks received, locomotion distance, and velocity were all reduced by intra-CeA PACAP injection. Further, intra-CeA PACAP effects were manifested only when the animals were challenged by shock, as intra-CeA PACAP injections did not cause significant changes in the behaviors of unshocked rats. Thus, intra-CeA administration of PACAP produces a distinct reorganization of stress-coping behaviors from active (burying) to passive modes, such as withdrawal and immobility. These findings are potentially significant toward enhancing our understanding of the involvement of PACAP and the CeA in the neural basis of fear and anxiety.


Endocrinology ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 143 (4) ◽  
pp. 1253-1259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francoise Jamen ◽  
Raymond Puech ◽  
Joel Bockaert ◽  
Philippe Brabet ◽  
Gyslaine Bertrand

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