Cells of neural crest origin as possible models to investigate thyrotropin releasing hormone action in the central nervous system.

Since TRH has been linked to trophic events in the motor neuron and is being used for symptomatic treatment of motor neuron disorders, we have examined seven neural crest cell lines for TRH-receptors (TRH-Rs) and for the enzymes choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and creatine kinase (CK), with the intent to identify one that can be used for studies of TRH-R mediated cellular events in the CNS. Three of the seven (neuroblastomas) were ChAT-positive but were without detectable TRH-Rs and showed no major alterations in ChAT/CK-activities following acute (24 hr) treatment with 0.01-10 microM TRH. In contrast, high affinity TRH receptor sites were detected in a melanoma (rpmI 3460) cell line. Linking cellular events with these receptors could lead to the use of this established cell line as a tool for the biochemical investigation of the pathways and mechanisms of TRH action in the CNS.