neuropeptide-y and pancreastatin

Topics: Amyloid; Animals; Chromogranin A; Glucose; Homeostasis; Hormones; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Secretion; Islet Amyloid Polypeptide; Islets of Langerhans; Neuropeptide Y; Pancreatic Hormones

Specific assays for measurements of circulating chromogranin (Cg) A, CgB, CgC and pancreastatin (Ps) have recently been developed. The aim of the present study was to investigate the usefulness of these markers in diagnosing and following the effects of treatment of patients with phaeochromocytoma, and to compare the results with those concerning other biochemical markers. CgA was elevated in 19/21 (90%), CgB in 17/21 (81%), Ps in 9/21 (43%) and neuropeptide Y in 9/21 (43%) of the patients. Urinary noradrenaline was increased in 19/21 (90%) and urinary adrenaline in 17/19 (89%) of the patients. All patients had increased levels of either urinary catecholamines or plasma chromogranins. In one patient levels of CgA, CgB and Ps were measured at frequent intervals before, during and after surgery. The CgA level fell to normal shortly after the tumour was removed, whereas the CgB level decreased towards normal over the course of several days. Significant correlation was observed between the contents of CgA and CgB in the tumour tissue and the plasma levels of CgA and CgB respectively. We conclude that CgA and CgB are sensitive circulating markers for phaeochromocytoma and that measurements of both urinary catecholamines and plasma chromogranins improve the diagnostic sensitivity. Furthermore, measurements of CgA may be useful in assessing the radicality of surgery in the early postoperative period.

Topics: Adolescent; Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Adult; Aged; Biomarkers, Tumor; Catecholamines; Chromogranin A; Chromogranin B; Chromogranins; Creatinine; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Neuropeptide Y; Pancreatic Hormones; Paraganglioma; Pheochromocytoma; Prognosis; Proteins

The endocrine pancreas from 2 genera of lacertid lizards (Pedioplanis and Meroles) was investigated immunocytochemically for the presence of immunoreactivity to mammalian antisera to insulin (I), glucagon (G), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY), neuropeptide tyrosine (NPY), somatostatin 14 (SRIF 14) and somatostatin 28 (SRIF 28), pancreastatin (Pst), galanin (Gl), oxytocin (OT). Cells immunoreactive (IR) to all the antisera used, and nerve fibers IR only to anti-galanin were found. Moreover, three types of colocalized immunoreactivities were detected: type 1 (PP/PYY/NPY), type 2 (G/PP/PYY/NPY), and type 3 (G/PYY/NPY/Pst).

Topics: Animals; Chromogranin A; Dipeptides; Galanin; Glucagon; Immunohistochemistry; Insulin; Islets of Langerhans; Lizards; Male; Neuropeptide Y; Oxytocin; Pancreatic Hormones; Pancreatic Polypeptide; Peptides; Somatostatin; Somatostatin-28

Norepinephrine and four families of neuropeptides, namely, neuropeptide Y (NPY), opioid peptides, galanin, and growth hormone-releasing factor (GRH), have been shown to stimulate feeding after central administration. Because these studies were mainly done on laboratory rats, the present study was designed to ascertain the central stimulators of feeding in dogs. We have shown that porcine and human pancreatic polypeptides (PPs), when administered into the third cerebral ventricle (intracerebroventricularly), increased food and water intake of satiated animals but that the COOH-terminal fragments [hPP-(18-36) and hPP-(23-36)] did not do so at the same molar dose (11.9 nmol). The kappa-opioid receptor agonist dynorphin (A-(1-17) also stimulated food and water intake, whereas alpha-neoendorphin and Met-enkephalin did not. These results suggest the structural specificity of PPs and dynorphin peptides for stimulating feeding. Surprisingly, neither intracerebroventricular injections of NPY and peptide YY nor intracerebroventricular pretreatment with anti-hNPY gamma-globulin modulated feeding, stressing the species differences in the feeding response to exogenous substances and the underlying physiology. Intracerebroventricular injections of norepinephrine, GRH, galanin, and pancreastatin also failed to increase food intake, although most substances tended to or did increase water intake. These results suggest that neuropeptides play a role in a species-specific way in modulating appetite regulation.

Topics: Animals; Cerebral Ventricles; Chromogranin A; Dogs; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drinking Behavior; Dynorphins; Endorphins; Enkephalin, Methionine; Feeding Behavior; Galanin; Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone; Injections, Intraventricular; Neuropeptide Y; Neuropeptides; Norepinephrine; Pancreatic Hormones; Peptide YY; Peptides; Protein Precursors