An indispensable role of secretin in mediating the osmoregulatory functions of angiotensin II.

Fluid balance is critical to life and hence is tightly controlled in the body. Angiotensin II (ANGII), one of the most important components of this regulatory system, is recognized as a dipsogenic hormone that stimulates vasopressin (VP) expression and release. However, detailed mechanisms regarding how ANGII brings about these changes are not fully understood.

Multiple actions of secretin in the human body.

The discovery of secretin initiated the field of endocrinology. Over the past century, multiple gastrointestinal functions of secretin have been extensively studied, and it was discovered that the principal function of this peptide in the gastrointestinal system is to facilitate digestion and to provide protection. In view of the late identification of secretin and the secretin receptor in various tissues, including the central nervous system, the pleiotropic functions of secretin have more recently been an area of intense focus.

Southwestern blotting in investigating transcriptional regulation.

Southwestern blotting is used to investigate DNA-protein interactions. The advantage of this technique over other related methods such as electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and DNA footprinting is that it provides information regarding the molecular weight of unknown protein factor. This method combines the features of Southern and Western blotting techniques; a denaturing SDS-PAGE is first employed to separate proteins electrophoretically based on size, and after transferring the proteins to a membrane support, the membrane-bound proteins are renatured and incubated with a (32)P-labeled double-stranded oligonucleotide probe of specific DNA sequence.

Discovery of growth hormone-releasing hormones and receptors in nonmammalian vertebrates.

In mammals, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is the most important neuroendocrine factor that stimulates the release of growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary. In nonmammalian vertebrates, however, the previously named GHRH-like peptides were unable to demonstrate robust GH-releasing activities. In this article, we provide evidence that these GHRH-like peptides are homologues of mammalian PACAP-related peptides (PRP).

Signaling mechanisms of secretin receptor.

Secretin, a 27-amino acid gastrointestinal peptide, was initially discovered based on its activities in stimulating pancreatic juice. In the past 20 years, secretin was demonstrated to exhibit pleiotropic functions in many different tissues and more importantly, its role as a neuropeptide was substantiated. To carry out its activities in the central nervous system and in peripheral organs, secretin interacts specifically with one known receptor.

The prenatal expression of secretin receptor.

Secretin is a classical gastrointestinal peptide while its neuroactive functions in the central nervous system have recently been consolidated. In the past, there was little information regarding the expression of secretin receptor in prenatal development. In this article, using mouse embryos and by in situ hybridization, secretin receptor transcripts were detected in several developing brain regions including the cerebellar primordium and choroid plexus.

Secretin, a known gastrointestinal peptide, is widely expressed during mouse embryonic development.

The gastrointestinal functions of the 27-amino acid secretin peptide have been well established. In previous prenatal studies, secretin expression in the rat duodenum was reported after day 17 of gestation while its expression in other organs and its functions in the developing embryos are still unknown. By in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining, secretin transcripts and peptides were found to be widely expressed in mouse embryos.