Psychobiological actions of MSH in man

Huaier Granule Combined with Tegafur Gimeracil Oteracil Potassium Promotes Stage IIb Gastric Cancer Prognosis and Induces Gastric Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Regulating Livin

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity and poor survival rate. Its prognosis remains unsatisfactory, with a 5-year survival rate of <30%. Studies have indicated that Huaier granules have good antitumor efficacy and safety in several solid malignant tumors. Recent studies have also found that Huaier polysaccharides can promote apoptosis in numerous tumor cells, although only few studies have focused on the effects of Huaier granules on gastric cancers and the mechanisms underlying their antitumor role. We retrospectively evaluated stage IIb gastric cancer patients at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, through our outpatient system from January 2013 to December 2015. Fifty-four patients were in the Huaier+Tegafur Gimeracil Oteracil Potassium (TGOP) group and 72 in the TGOP group. Further, we conducted CCK8, colony formation, Annexin V-FITC/PI, Western blot, RT-PCR, and plasmid transfection assays to analyze the mechanism by which Huaier polysaccharides play an antitumor role. We confirmed that Huaier granules combined with Tegafur Gimeracil Oteracil Potassium could promote patient prognosis, with a better disease-free survival rate (51.32 ± 2.23 vs. 44.19 ± 2.26, p = 0.034) and overall survival rate (56.81 ± 1.32 vs. 51.32 ± 1.69, p = 0.020). Moreover, through cell proliferation assays, Western blot, RT-PCR, and detection of Livin expression at the mRNA and protein levels, we found that Huaier polysaccharides could promote gastric cancer cell apoptosis and inhibit gastric cancer cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrated that Huaier polysaccharides promote gastric cancer cell apoptosis through the regulation of Livin expression. Overexpression of Livin reversed the gastric cell apoptosis induced by Huaier polysaccharides. Huaier granules combined with Tegafur Gimeracil Oteracil Potassium ameliorated stage IIb gastric cancer prognosis and induced gastric cancer cell apoptosis by regulating Livin.

Melanocyte-stimulating hormone and adaptive behaviour

In order to study the physiological role of alpha-MSH in adaptive behaviour, plasma concentrations of alpha-MSH were measured during acquisition and extinction of active avoidance behaviour and during retention of a passive avoidance response. In addition the effect on behaviour of neutralization of centrally available alpha-MSH by intracerebroventricular administration of antisera to alpha-MSH was investigated. Blood samples were collected either before or immediately after each acquisition session and also before and after the extinction session of an active avoidance response. In addition, blood was collected after retention of a passive avoidance response from rats which had been submitted t different shock intensities during the learning trial, resulting in various passive avoidance groups of animals could be found. Neutralization or reduction of available alpha-MSH in the brain by intracerebroventricular administration of antisera to this neuropeptide results in disturbances in active as well as passive avoidance behaviour. This may indicate that alpha-MSH available in the brain plays a physiological role in brain functions involved in adaptive behaviour and in processes related to learning. Thus, at least in some species, MSH manifests its adaptive function predominantly via the brain.

Biological and immunological characterization of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in two neuronal systems of the rat brain

Recent immunocytochemical studies have demonstrated the existence of two different neuronal systems containing alpha-MSH-like material in the brain: one originating from the arcuate nucleus and the other one from the dorsolateral hypothalamus. The aim of the present study was to further characterize alpha-MSH in these two discrete regions of the rat diencephalon. Intracerebroventricular administration of colchicine resulted in a marked decrease in the number of ACTH and beta-endorphin nerve fibers and a significant reduction in ACTH and beta-endorphin content in the dorsolateral hypothalamus. Conversely, colchicine treatment did not alter alpha-MSH, ACTH or beta-endorphin content in the arcuate nucleus and did not significantly affect alpha-MSH concentration in the dorsal region. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography showed that the major alpha-MSH-like compound localized in the dorsal hypothalamus co-migrated exactly with synthetic alpha-MSH, whereas the arcuate nucleus contained 5 peptides cross-reacting with alpha-MSH antibodies, 4 of them being different from standard alpha-MSH. Significant amounts of biologically active melanotropin, which migrated on Sephadex G-25 columns like synthetic alpha-MSH, were also detected in both the arcuate nucleus and dorsolateral hypothalamus. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the alpha-MSH cell bodies located in the dorsolateral hypothalamus specifically produce authentic alpha-MSH, whereas the alpha-MSH cell bodies in the arcuate nucleus also contain ACTH, beta-endorphin and several peptides immunologically related but not identical to alpha-MSH.