Abstract
Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) has previously been identified in extrahypothalamic tissues and may act in a paracrine fashion within these tissues. To date, CRH production and its role in the fetus and newborn have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to explore the distribution and ontogeny of CRH in extrahypothalamic tissues of the fetus, newborn, juvenile, and adult baboon. Pituitary, adrenal, kidney, liver, and lung tissues from baboons at 125 d gestation, 140 d gestation, 185 d gestation (term), juveniles, and adults were obtained at necropsy. The tissues were quantified for protein and immunoreactive CRH was determined by a RIA. CRH levels were normalized to the protein content of each tissue. CRH was present in all tissues and varied over a 100-fold range according to tissue type. The highest concentration of CRH was found in the pituitary, which did not differ with the gestation and/or age of the animal. In the lung tissues of 125- and 140-d gestation animals, CRH was greater than the term, juvenile, and adult lung (p < 0.02). CRH in the adrenal gland of the 125-d samples was greater than the other four ages tested (p < 0.02). Liver CRH levels were higher in the term animals compared with the juvenile baboons. Our study documents the existence of CRH in extrahypothalamic tissues of the baboon from 125 d of gestation to adulthood. Given its presence and distribution, we speculate that CRH may exert ongoing paracrine and/or autocrine actions in these tissues from the time of intrauterine life throughout adulthood.
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Abbreviations
- CRH:
-
corticotropin releasing hormone
- irCRH:
-
immunoreactive corticotropin releasing hormone
- irACTH:
-
immunoreactive ACTH hormone
- DHEA-S:
-
dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate
- POMC:
-
proopiomelanocortin
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for support of the U10 Collaborative Program in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia at the Primate Center at Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research. We also thank Dr. Jacqueline Coalson, without whose support this work would not have been possible.
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Supported by the Air Force Surgeon General Fund and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant HL52636-06.
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not represent the views of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the United States Government.
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Dotzler, S., Digeronimo, R., Yoder, B. et al. Distribution of Corticotropin Releasing Hormone in the Fetus, Newborn, Juvenile, and Adult Baboon. Pediatr Res 55, 120–125 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1203/01.PDR.0000100460.00639.F4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/01.PDR.0000100460.00639.F4
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