LHRH (1-2) (free acid)

Melatonin (MEL), the principle secretory product of the pineal gland, has been shown to function as an antioxidant and free-radical scavenger. We previously showed that the release of ascorbic acid (AA) and luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) from medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) was mediated by nitric oxide (NO) that released cyclic guanosine 3'5'-mono-phosphate (cGMP). Therefore, it was of interest to evaluate the effect of MEL on AA and LHRH release and study the effect of a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, 6-anilino-5,8-quinoline-dione (LY 83583), and a guanylyl cyclase (GC) inhibitor, 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazolo [4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (O.D.Q.), on the release process. Because NO has been shown to activate soluble guanylyl cyclase that elicited an elevation of cGMP in target cells, in the current investigation LY 83583, O.D.Q., or N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine (NMMA), a competitive inhibitor of NOS, were used to evaluate their effects on MEL-induced AA and LHRH release. Medial basal hypothalami were incubated in 0.5 ml of Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate (KRB) buffer for 1 hr. Subsequently, the tissues were incubated with graded concentrations of MEL (10(-8) to 10(-4) M), MEL + NMMA (3 x 10(-4) M), MEL + LY 83583 (10(-6) M), or MEL + O.D.Q. (10(-5) M) for 1 hr. Ascorbic acid and LHRH released into the medium were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and radio-immunoassay (RIA), respectively. Melatonin (10(-6) and 10(-5) M) significantly stimulated both AA and LHRH release, but the lower and the highest concentrations were ineffective. A combination of MEL + NMMA completely blocked both AA and LHRH release, supporting a role for NO in the releasing action. Both LY 83583 and O.D.Q. significantly suppressed MEL-induced AA and LHRH release, emphasizing the role of NOS, GC, and cGMP in mediating the action of MEL. The data of these in vitro experiments support a role for MEL in the hypothalamic control of AA and LHRH release.

Kisspeptin plays an important role in puberty and subsequent fertility by activating its receptor, G-protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), and increasing cytoplasmic free Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion in GnRH neurons. Yet the mechanism by which kisspeptin increases [Ca(2+)](i) in GnRH neurons remains to be fully elucidated. In other neurons, voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (VGCC) activity has been shown to be inversely related to [Ca(2+)](i). We used whole-cell patch-clamp recording to examine the effects of kisspeptin-10 (KP-10) on VGCC activity evoked by step depolarizations in GnRH neurons in brain slices from pubertal male GnRH-green fluorescent protein transgenic mice. Prolonged (>30 s) KP-10 application inhibited Ca(2+) currents. The GPR54 antagonist peptide 234, chelation of intracellular Ca(2+) by 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid, substitution of Ba(2+) for Ca(2+), the calmodulin antagonists calmidazolium and trifluoperazine, the phospholipase C inhibitor edelfosine, the canonical transient receptor potential (TRPC) channel and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP(3)R) antagonist 2-APB, the TRPC channel antagonist BTP2 and the endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase blocker cyclopiazonic acid each prevented inhibition. The IP(3)R antagonists caffeine (10 µM), heparin and intracellular 2-APB prevented inhibition to a lesser extent. The ryanodine receptor (RyR) antagonists ryanodine and dantrolene prevented inhibition, and the RyR agonist caffeine (30 mM) mimicked the effects of KP-10 on Ca(2+) currents. Our results suggest that kisspeptin induces Ca(2+) influx through TRPC channels and Ca(2+) release via IP(3)Rs and RyRs, and that this is followed by Ca(2+)/CaM-dependent inhibition of VGCCs.

1. M-current (IM) is regulated by intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). Suppression and overrecovery of IM induced by muscarine and luteinizing-hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) are also regulated by [Ca2+]i. The role of the arachidonic acid (AA) pathway in the Ca(2+)-dependent modulation of IM was investigated using whole-cell voltage clamp and intracellular perfusion in dissociated bullfrog sympathetic B neurons. 2. Quinacrine (10-20 microM) and 4-bromophenacyl bromide (4-BPB; 4-10 microM), the inhibitors of phospholipase A2, blocked the enhancement of IM evoked by raising [Ca2+]i. 3. AA (6-120 microM) increased IM by about 50% of the control current in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. 4. Enhancements of IM by Ca2+ and AA were blocked by the lipoxygenase (LO) inhibitors nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA; 1-5 microM) and 5,8,11-eicosatrynoic acid (ETI; 10 microM). The cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (10 microM) had no effect. 5. Enhancement of IM by Ca2+ was abolished by the selective 12-LO inhibitors baicalein (1-2 microM) and 15(S)-hydroxy-5-cis-8-cis-11-cis-13-trans-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE; 6.5 microM). A 12-LO product, 2(S)-hydroxy-5-cis-8-cis-10-trans-14-cis- eicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE; 13-20 microM), increased IM without Ca2+ requirement. 6. Enhancement of IM by Ca2+ was not affected by the selective 5-LO inhibitors AA-861 (10 microM), 5,6-dehydroarachidonic acid (5,6-DAA, 10 microM) and L-651,896 (10 microM). The 5-LO metabolites leukotriene C4 (1.5-8 microM) and leukotriene B4 (1.5-5 microM) showed no obvious effect on IM. 7. NDGA alone inhibited IM with an IC50 of 0.73 microM at 120 nM Cai(2+). 8. NDGA did not affect suppression of IM by muscarine or LHRH; however, overrecovery of IM upon removing these agonists was totally eliminated by 1 microM NDGA. 9. Inhibitors of phosphatases, calyculin A (0.1 microM) and okadaic acid (1 microM), completely abolished overrecovery of IM. Calyculin A also blocked the Ca(2+)-induced IM enhancement. 10. It is suggested that Ca2+ enhances IM by stimulating the AA metabolic pathway. Dephosphorylation probably upregulates IM. Overrecovery of IM is probably a result of stimulation of the LO pathway and phosphatases by increased [Ca2+]i.