Ontogeny of tyrosine hydroxylase concentration in locus coeruleus of newborn rats: long-term effects of RU24722.

The ontogenetic variations of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) have been studied in locus coeruleus of developing rats. During the first 2 weeks after birth, a large increase in TH content (6.04-23.

Evaluation of the relative amount of specific gaba-benzodiazepine receptor mrna after injection of total poly(A+)-rna into xenopus oocytes.

GABA-benzodiazepine receptor-chloride channel complexes have been detected by electrophysiological recording in Xenopus oocytes previously injected with messenger RNA extracted either from optic lobes of chick embryos or from adult rat hippocampi. The ability of the oocyte to correctly translate exogenous messengers was used to develop a routine method which could allow a quantitative evaluation of specific mRNA coding for GABA-benzodiazepine receptor proteins following an injection of a fixed amount of total poly(A+)-RNA. The conditions of the validation of this method have been determined.

Modifications of membrane cholesterol content affects electrical properties and prolactin release of cultured pituitary cells.

Treatment of cloned pituitary cells (GH3/B6) with cholesterol-enriched liposomes, which presumably increases membrane cholesterol content, affects the passive and active electrophysiological properties and stimulates the release of prolactin (PRL).

An electrophysiological study of cultured human pituitary cells.

The electrophysiological properties of tumoral pituitary cells were studied in 4 types of human adenomas including prolactinomas, growth-hormone-secreting tumors, adrenocorticotropin-hormone-secreting adenoma and 'non-functioning' tumors. Only 9% of the cells from prolactinomas and ACTH tumors were excitable but they never elicited spontaneous action potentials. These cells did not respond to substances known to act on the hormone-releasing process (thyreoliberin, dopamine).

Calcium efflux from the rat neurohypophysis.

1. Calcium efflux from isolated rat neurophypophyses has been studied. Curve fitting of the wash-out curves suggests three phases with t((1/2)) of ca.