Effects of endothelin-1 and endothelin-3 on rat hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone and pituitary ACTH release in vitro.

Endothelins (ETs) are potent vasoconstrictor peptides that also participate in the regulation of endocrine function. Indeed, immunoreactive ET, ET mRNA and ET receptors have been found in the brain and the pituitary gland and ETs stimulate arginine vasopressin, LH, FSH, TSH and gonadotrophin-releasing hormone and inhibit prolactin release in vitro. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of ET-1 and ET-3, two members of this family, on corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) release by explanted male rat hypothalami in vitro and on ACTH release by primary pituitary cell culture. ET-3 decreased basal CRH release in a concentration-related manner. The lowest effective concentration tested was 3 nmol/l but a more pronounced inhibitory effect was obtained at a concentration of 10 nmol/l. On the other hand, ET-1 did not have any detectable effect on basal CRH release. Neither ET-1 nor ET-3 had any effect on the release of CRH stimulated by potassium chloride. ET-1 increased basal ACTH release, whereas ET-3 did not have any effect. Both ET-1 and ET-3 suppressed the release of ACTH stimulated by 1 nmol CRH/l. These data suggest that both ET-1 and ET-3 are able to modulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in vitro. However, they act at different levels and seem to have opposite effects. Indeed, while ET-1 stimulated pituitary ACTH release, ET-3, the peptide produced mainly in the brain, inhibited hypothalamic CRH release in vitro.