Biomaterial Database

Glucocorticoid regulation of preproenkephalin messenger ribonucleic acid in the rat striatum. 1990

H M Chao, and B S McEwen

Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, New York, New York 10021.

Glucocorticoids regulate the level of preproenkephalin mRNA expression in a number of cell systems. This study investigated the expression of preproenkephalin mRNA in the brain and its regulation by glucocorticoids in vivo. Two different methods for mRNA quantitation were employed. Total RNA isolated from dissected brain tissue was analyzed in an RNAse T2 protection assay. In addition, we have used in situ hybridization to brain sections to assess the expression of preproenkephalin mRNA. The results demonstrate that in the striatum the preproenkephalin mRNA is expressed at a high level and is regulated by glucocorticoids. There is a decrease in striatal preproenkephalin mRNA after adrenalectomy (ADX), and ADX animals replaced with corticosterone express higher levels of striatal preproenkephalin mRNA than ADX animals. By in situ hybridization we have determined that the corticosterone-induced increase in striatal preproenkephalin mRNA is evident after 16 h, but not after 2 h, of corticosterone replacement of ADX animals. Elevation of circulating corticosterone levels in intact rats by 2-3 h of restraint stress, a multiple daily stress regimen over 1-21 days, or corticosterone injection did not change the level of preproenkephalin mRNA in the striatum; however, a single 16-h restraint stress resulted in a decreased level of expression. In intact rats there was a diurnal variation in the level of striatal preproenkephalin mRNA expression; ADX resulted in a decrease in the mRNA level, but did not abolish the diurnal variation in expression. Thus, while there is clearly regulation of striatal preproenkephalin mRNA by glucocorticoids, our results provide evidence for regulation by nonglucocorticoid mechanisms as well.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009693	Nucleic Acid Hybridization	Widely used technique which exploits the ability of complementary sequences in single-stranded DNAs or RNAs to pair with each other to form a double helix. Hybridization can take place between two complimentary DNA sequences, between a single-stranded DNA and a complementary RNA, or between two RNA sequences. The technique is used to detect and isolate specific sequences, measure homology, or define other characteristics of one or both strands. (Kendrew, Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994, p503)	Genomic Hybridization,Acid Hybridization, Nucleic,Acid Hybridizations, Nucleic,Genomic Hybridizations,Hybridization, Genomic,Hybridization, Nucleic Acid,Hybridizations, Genomic,Hybridizations, Nucleic Acid,Nucleic Acid Hybridizations
D011498	Protein Precursors		Precursors, Protein
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D012149	Restraint, Physical	Use of a device for the purpose of controlling movement of all or part of the body. Splinting and casting are FRACTURE FIXATION.	Immobilization, Physical,Physical Restraint,Physical Immobilization,Physical Restraints,Restraints, Physical
D001921	Brain	The part of CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM that is contained within the skull (CRANIUM). Arising from the NEURAL TUBE, the embryonic brain is comprised of three major parts including PROSENCEPHALON (the forebrain); MESENCEPHALON (the midbrain); and RHOMBENCEPHALON (the hindbrain). The developed brain consists of CEREBRUM; CEREBELLUM; and other structures in the BRAIN STEM.	Encephalon
D002940	Circadian Rhythm	The regular recurrence, in cycles of about 24 hours, of biological processes or activities, such as sensitivity to drugs or environmental and physiological stimuli.	Diurnal Rhythm,Nyctohemeral Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythm,Nycthemeral Rhythm,Circadian Rhythms,Diurnal Rhythms,Nycthemeral Rhythms,Nyctohemeral Rhythms,Rhythm, Circadian,Rhythm, Diurnal,Rhythm, Nycthemeral,Rhythm, Nyctohemeral,Rhythm, Twenty-Four Hour,Rhythms, Circadian,Rhythms, Diurnal,Rhythms, Nycthemeral,Rhythms, Nyctohemeral,Rhythms, Twenty-Four Hour,Twenty Four Hour Rhythm,Twenty-Four Hour Rhythms
D003342	Corpus Striatum	Striped GRAY MATTER and WHITE MATTER consisting of the NEOSTRIATUM and paleostriatum (GLOBUS PALLIDUS). It is located in front of and lateral to the THALAMUS in each cerebral hemisphere. The gray substance is made up of the CAUDATE NUCLEUS and the lentiform nucleus (the latter consisting of the GLOBUS PALLIDUS and PUTAMEN). The WHITE MATTER is the INTERNAL CAPSULE.	Lenticular Nucleus,Lentiform Nucleus,Lentiform Nuclei,Nucleus Lentiformis,Lentiformis, Nucleus,Nuclei, Lentiform,Nucleus, Lenticular,Nucleus, Lentiform,Striatum, Corpus
D003345	Corticosterone	An adrenocortical steroid that has modest but significant activities as a mineralocorticoid and a glucocorticoid. (From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1437)
D004745	Enkephalins	One of the three major families of endogenous opioid peptides. The enkephalins are pentapeptides that are widespread in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the adrenal medulla.	Enkephalin