INFLUENCE OF RESERPINE ON THE PITUITARY CONTENT OF MELANOCYTE-STIMULATING HORMONE AND ON HYPOTHALAMIC FACTORS WHICH AFFECT ITS RELEASE

Abstract

SUMMARY The melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) content of whole toad pituitary glands decreased upon treatment with reserpine. With daily injections the values remained low for 1 week but regained normal levels after 2 weeks in spite of an increased secretion of MSH as indicated by darkening of the skin. In rats a drop in pituitary MSH content also occurred after reserpine injection but normal values were found after 7 and 14 days of treatment. MSH-releasing factor found in stalk-median eminence tissue of normal male rats was not present in the reserpine-injected animals, but after 7 days of treatment an increase in MSH-release-inhibiting factor (MSH-R-IF) was demonstrated. MSH-R-IF was also found to have increased in female castrated rats after 2 days of treatment with reserpine. It is concluded that reserpine permits the secretion of pituitary MSH by blocking the release of MSH-R-IF, which accumulates in the hypothalamic neurones.