Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
9
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-9-10
pubmed:abstractText
Hormones produced by the fetal adrenal regulate fetal growth, steroidogenic activity, and intrauterine homeostasis, which are essential for the maintenance of pregnancy and the preparation of the fetus for extrauterine life. There is a functional interaction between CRH and the fetal adrenal, as CRH increases dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate production in cultured fetal adrenal cells. Moreover, in a rodent model administration of orexin A induced corticosterone production. To examine this relationship in more detail we measured the expression of the different subtypes of CRH and orexin receptors and their specific coupling to G protein alpha-subunits upon activation with CRH and orexin A, respectively. Using RT-PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis, we demonstrated the presence of CRH receptors 1alpha and 2alpha, and orexin type 2 receptor mRNA. None of the other CRH receptor variants or orexin type 1 receptor were detected. Immunofluorescent analysis and Western blotting confirmed the protein expression of both receptors, which also bind fluo-CRH and fluo-orexin with high affinity. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed the expression of prepro-orexin and orexin A in fetal adrenals. Using photoaffinity labeling, we determined which G proteins are coupled to the CRH and orexin receptors in fetal adrenals when challenged with CRH or orexin. Treatment of fetal adrenal membranes with CRH (100 nM) increased the labeling of G(o) and, to a lesser extent, G(s), but not G(i) and G(q), whereas treatment with orexin A (100 nM) increased the labeling of G(s) and G(i), but not G(o) and G(q). These findings provide new insights into the components of the signal transduction machinery in human fetal adrenals and demonstrate for the first time the presence of functional orexin receptors outside of the CNS in humans.
pubmed:grant
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
AIM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Sep
pubmed:issn
0021-972X
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
86
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
4512-9
pubmed:dateRevised
2007-11-14
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Expression and coupling characteristics of the CRH and orexin type 2 receptors in human fetal adrenals.
pubmed:affiliation
The Sir Quinton Hazel Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom CV4 7AL.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't