Evidence for alpha 1-adrenergic stimulatory control of in vitro release of immunoreactive thyrotropin-releasing hormone from rat median eminence: in vivo corroboration.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the alpha-adrenergic stimulation of TSH secretion may occur directly at the median eminence (ME) level by modulating the release of TRH. The effects of pharmacological manipulations of the two subtypes of central alpha-adrenergic receptors, alpha 1 and alpha 2, were tested on in vitro TRH release from medial basal hypothalami containing mainly the ME. Hypothalamic fragments were superfused with a modified Locke medium, and TRH was measured by RIA in samples collected every 10 min. After a preliminary period of 40 min to test TRH release during basal conditions, drug effects were checked for 20 min. Superfusion with norepinephrine (NE) (10(-10), 10(-8), 10(-6) M) induced a rapid and dose-dependent rise of TRH release; epinephrine (10(-8) M) induced an effect similar to that of NE 10(-8) M. Phentolamine (10(-7) M), an alpha-adrenergic antagonist, completely blocked the NE (10(-8) M)-induced release of TRH, which was not modified by the beta-adrenergic antagonist propranolol (10(-7) M). Neither antagonist had an effect on basal TRH release when added alone to the medium. The NE-induced release of TRH was completely suppressed by prazosin (10(-7) M), whereas yohimbine had no effect. Superfusion with clonidine (10(-9), 10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-6) M), an alpha 2-receptor agonist, did not alter basal TRH release. In contrast, phenylephrine (10(-8) and 10(-6) M), an alpha 1-receptor agonist, induced a significant (P less than 0.01) rise in TRH release. These results were corroborated in vivo in several unanesthetized rats bearing a push-pull cannula previously and stereotaxically implanted into the ME. Perfusion with artificial cerebrospinal fluid containing NE (10(-7), 10(-6) M) or phenylephrine (10(-7) M) elicited a rapid rise in TRH release, within 15 min after the onset of drug perfusion. Clonidine (10(-5) M), similarly perfused for 15 min, had no effect. Our data suggest a direct stimulatory influence of catecholamines on TRH release at the ME level that is mediated through alpha 1-adrenergic receptors.