Concentrations of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the brain of ataxic mice.

Concentrations of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) were studied in the brain of the Weaver ataxic mouse, the Purkinje cell degenerative ataxic mouse (pcd-ataxic mouse) and the cytosine arabinoside (ara-C)-induced ataxic mouse. The brain tissue was dissected into 4 parts, e.g., hypothalamus, cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. TRH concentrations in each part of the brain were measured by radioimmunoassay. TRH concentrations in the brain of Weaver ataxic mice were significantly higher in the cerebellum and brain stem than in the controls. In pcd-ataxic mice, the TRH concentrations in the brain were significantly higher in the cerebrum and brain stem. In ara-C-induced ataxic mice, the concentrations were significantly higher in the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem. TRH levels in the hypothalamus of ataxic mice did not differ from those of controls. The elution profile of methanol-extracted cerebellum of ataxic mice on Sephadex G-10 was identical to that of synthetic TRH. These findings suggest that changes in the TRH concentrations in the brain play a pathophysiological role in ataxic mice.