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Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Stimulates Chick Pineal Melatonin Production and Interacts with Other Stimulatory and Inhibitory Agents but Does Not Show α 1 ‐Adrenergic Potentiation
Author(s) -
Zatz Martin,
Kasper Gabriel,
Marquez Christopher R.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1990.tb03118.x
Subject(s) - vasoactive intestinal peptide , medicine , endocrinology , stimulation , melatonin , pinealocyte , adrenergic , receptor , biology , adrenergic receptor , forskolin , pineal gland , prazosin , neuropeptide , antagonist
Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is known to mimic the effects of β‐adrenergic receptor stimulation in the rat pineal, including marked potentiation by α 1 ‐adrenergic receptor stimulation, and to cause increased melatonin synthesis. In contrast, the chick pineal does not respond to β‐adrenergic stimulation, and melatonin synthesis is inhibited by norepinephrine via an α 2 ‐adrenergic receptor. The present experiments show that chick pineal cells in primary culture do, however, respond to VIP with increased melatonin production. The effect of VIP was inhibited by addition of norepinephrine or of nitrendipine or by exposing the cells to “unexpected” white light. Stimulation by VIP was enhanced by addition of forskolin or Bay K 8644 but not by α 1 adrenergic receptor stimulation. Although stimulation by VIP appears similar in the chick pineal to that seen in the rat pineal and other systems, “dual‐receptor regulation,” at least with α 1 ‐adrenergic receptors, appears to be absent.