VASOTOCIN RELEASE INTO THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF CATS INDUCED BY LUTEINIZING HORMONE RELEASING HORMONE, THYROTROPHIN RELEASING HORMONE AND GROWTH HORMONE RELEASE-INHIBITING HORMONE

Abstract

Institute of Endocrinology, Bucharest, Rumania (Received 29 March 1977) The mammalian pineal gland contains (Pavel, 1965) and synthesizes (Pavel, Goldstein, Ghinea & Calb, 1977) the nonapeptide arginine-vasotocin (AVT). Since luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH–RH), thyrotrophin releasing hormone (TRH) and growth hormone release-inhibiting hormone (somatostatin, SRIF) have now been localized not only in the brain, but also in the pineal gland (White, Hedlund, Weber, Rippel, Johnston & Wilber, 1974; Pelletier, Le Clerc, Dube, Labrie, Puviani, Arimura & Schally, 1975), we investigated the effects of these peptides on the release of AVT into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of cats. Intracarotid injections of 0·1 μg LH-RH, TRH (Hoechst, Frankfurt), SRIF (Serono, Rome) or oxytocin (Syntocinon, Sandoz Ltd, Basel) in 0·5 ml saline were given to urethane-anaesthetized male cats weighing 3–4 kg. Controls received an equal volume of saline only. The pineal glands were removed 60 min after the injections, quickly homogenized, and extracted