Karpac Jason, Kern Andras, Hochgeschwender Ute
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
Mol Cell Endocrinol. 2007 Feb;265-266:29-33. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2006.12.035. Epub 2006 Dec 15.
The adrenal gland regulates a number of essential biological functions through production of steroids and catecholamines. Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides have been implicated in all aspects of generating, maintaining, and functioning of the adrenal glands. An appreciation for the roles of POMC-derived peptides with respect to the adrenal has been gained from experiments in vitro, and in vivo in different animal models which surgically, pharmacologically, or genetically decrease or increase the amount of POMC peptides available. We recently produced a mouse model with a deletion of the entire coding region of the POMC gene, thus lacking all POMC-derived peptides, from all sources, and at all times. Here we will summarize and discuss the results of traditional in vivo studies on the role of POMC peptides in adrenal development, maintenance, and function in the context of findings in a mouse model genetically lacking all POMC-derived peptides.
肾上腺通过产生类固醇和儿茶酚胺来调节多种重要的生物学功能。源自阿黑皮素原（POMC）的肽与肾上腺的生成、维持及功能的各个方面都有关联。通过体外实验以及在不同动物模型中的体内实验（这些实验通过手术、药理学或遗传学方法减少或增加可用的POMC肽量），人们已经了解了源自POMC的肽对肾上腺的作用。我们最近构建了一个小鼠模型，该模型缺失了POMC基因的整个编码区，从而在任何时候、任何来源都缺乏所有源自POMC的肽。在此，我们将在一个基因上缺乏所有源自POMC的肽的小鼠模型的研究结果背景下，总结并讨论关于POMC肽在肾上腺发育、维持和功能方面作用的传统体内研究结果。
