Yoshizawa T, Shinmi O, Giaid A, Yanagisawa M, Gibson S J, Kimura S, Uchiyama Y, Polak J M, Masaki T, Kanazawa I
Department of Neurology, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Science. 1990 Jan 26;247(4941):462-4. doi: 10.1126/science.2405487.
Endothelin (ET), originally characterized as a 21-residue vasoconstrictor peptide from endothelial cells, is present in the porcine spinal cord and may act as a neuropeptide. Endothelin-like immunoreactivity has now been demonstrated by immunohistochemistry in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclear neurons and their terminals in the posterior pituitary of the pig and the rat. The presence of ET in the porcine hypothalamus was confirmed by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. Moreover, in situ hybridization demonstrated ET messenger RNA in porcine paraventricular nuclear neurons. Endothelin-like immunoreactive products in the posterior pituitary of the rat were depleted by water deprivation, suggesting a release of ET under physiological conditions. These findings indicate that ET is synthesized in the posterior pituitary system and may be involved in neurosecretory functions.
内皮素（ET）最初被鉴定为一种来自内皮细胞的由21个氨基酸组成的血管收缩肽，存在于猪脊髓中，并可能作为一种神经肽发挥作用。现已通过免疫组织化学在猪和大鼠垂体后叶的室旁核和视上核神经元及其终末中证实了内皮素样免疫反应性。通过反相高压液相色谱法和放射免疫测定法证实了猪下丘脑内皮素的存在。此外，原位杂交显示猪室旁核神经元中有内皮素信使核糖核酸。水剥夺使大鼠垂体后叶中内皮素样免疫反应产物减少，提示在生理条件下内皮素会释放。这些发现表明内皮素在垂体后叶系统中合成，并可能参与神经分泌功能。
