Endocrine Abstracts

Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) belong to the same superfamily of regulatory neuropeptides which also comprises VIP, glucagon, secretin and GIP. Both GHRH and PACAP have been characterized on the basis of their hypophysiotropic activities. In the course of vertebrate evolution, the primary structure of GHRH has markedly diverged while the sequence of PACAP has been remarkably well preserved. In mammals, GHR...

There is now clear evidence that diverse corticotropic factors released by chromaffin cells, by nerve fibers innervating the adrenal cortex, by cells of the immune system and/or by the endothelium are involved in the local control of adrenocortical cell activity. The adrenal gland of lower vertebrates, notably amphibians, in which cortical and chromaffin cells are closely entangled, is a very suitable model to investigate the paracrine regulation of adrenocortical cells. The e...