Central thyrotropin-releasing hormone increases hepatic cyclic AMP through vagal-cholinergic and prostaglandin-dependent pathways in rats.

Central neuropeptides play roles in many physiologic regulations through the autonomic nervous system. We have demonstrated that central thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), one of neuropeptides, induces a stimulation of hepatic proliferation through vagal-cholinergic pathways. Since cAMP is known to play an important role in the hepatic proliferation, effect of central TRH on hepatic cAMP was investigated. Rats were intracisternally injected with either a TRH analog, RX-77368 (1-100 ng), or saline. The liver was removed 2-72 h after the TRH analog and hepatic cAMP content was determined by radioimmunoassay. In some experiments, pretreatment with hepatic vagotomy, atropine methyl nitrate, or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) was performed. Hepatic cAMP was dose-dependently increased by intracisternal TRH analog (5-100 ng) with a peak response occurring 12 h postinjection. The central TRH-induced increase in hepatic cAMP was abolished by vagotomy, atropine and indomethacin, but not by 6-OHDA. Intravenous injection of the TRH analog (10 ng) did not affect hepatic cAMP. These results demonstrate that TRH acts in the brain to increase hepatic cAMP through vagal-cholinergic and prostaglandin-dependent pathways, suggesting that central TRH modulates hepatic functions through cAMP-mediated signaling pathways.