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Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a neuropeptide originally isolated from chum salmon pituitaries. To explore physiological roles of MCH in mammals, we studied the regional distribution of immunoreactive MCH in the rat tissues and the presence of immunoreactive MCH in human adrenal glands, adrenal tumors and plasma by radioimmunoassay, and the expression of MCH mRNA in rat tissues and human brain tissues by Northern blot analysis. Immunoreactive MCH was present in every region of rat brain and neurointermediate lobe of the pituitary gland, with the highest concentrations found in the hypothalamus (48.3 +/- 6.6 pmol/g wet weight, mean +/- SEM, n = 6). The immunoreactive MCH in rat hypothalamus, frontal lobe, and pons and medulla oblongata was eluted in the position of synthetic human/rat MCH in reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. No immunoreactive MCH was detected in the rat peripheral tissues. Northern blot analysis showed that a single species of MCH mRNA (approximately 1 kb) was expressed specifically in the rat and human hypothalamus, but not detectable in other regions of brain or rat peripheral tissues. Immunoreactive MCH was not detected in human adrenal glands (< 0.5 pmol/g wet weight, n = 9) or adrenal tumors including pheochromocytomas. Immunoreactive MCH were not detected in plasma obtained from human healthy subjects (< 0.25 pmol/l) and rat (< 0.25 pmol/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
November 2009,
Peptides,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
January 1989,
Life sciences,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
July 2010,
Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
January 1993,
Peptides,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
May 1993,
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
January 1989,
Life sciences,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
May 1993,
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
September 1989,
Endocrinology,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
November 2009,
Peptides,
K Takahashi, and
H Suzuki, and
K Totsune, and
O Murakami, and
F Satoh, and
M Sone, and
H Sasano, and
T Mouri, and
S Shibahara
August 2005,
Nihon rinsho. Japanese journal of clinical medicine,
