Chromatographic Evidence for the Presence of Multiple Tachykinins in the Bovine Adrenal Medulla

Abstract

Among the mammalian tachykinins, substance P (SP) has been shown to be the most potent at modulating the response due to nicotinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. SP-like immunoreactivity has been detected in nerve terminals innervating the adrenal medulla; however, little is known of the presence of other tachykinins in this tissue. In this study, reverse-phase HPLC was used to fractionate peptides in bovine adrenal medullary extracts, and the fractions were analyzed by radioimmunoassay using antisera to SP or neurokinin A (NKA). The results show that both NKA- and SP-like immunoreactivities are present in the adrenal medulla. The presence of neurokinin B is also indicated. The presence of multiple tachykinins in this tissue raises questions as to their functions in the adrenal medulla.

Localization of neurokinin A and chromogranin A immunoreactivity in the developing porcine adrenal medulla

“…Recently, the presence of neurokinin A in rat adrenal gland and in bovine adrenal medulla was documented by Teitachi et al (1990) and Basile et al (1992) by radioimmunoassay. Although neurokinin A has been the subject of research for nearly ten years, no immunocytochemical data are available on its distribution in the adrenal medulla.…”

“…Since then it has been found throughout the central and peripheral nervous system (Takano et al, 1986;Duggan et at., 1990); in various endocrine glands such as pancreas of mice (Bailey eta]., 1986), rat anterior pituitary (Jonassen et al, 1987) and mammalian thyroid gland (Grunditz et al, 1987), and in other tissues, such as rat heart (Wang et al, 1989), guinea-pig and rat urinary bladder (Maggi et al, 1988), guinea-pig lung (Saria et at., 1984), guinea-pig ureter (Hua et at., 1986), guinea-pig taenia coli (Shuttleworth et al, I991), and metastatic ileal carcinoid tumour Theodorsson-Norheim, 1987). (1990) and Basile et al (1992), using a radioimmunoassay, demonstrated that neurokinin A is also present in rat adrenal and bovine adrenal medulla *To whom correspondence should be addressed. (1990) and Basile et al (1992), using a radioimmunoassay, demonstrated that neurokinin A is also present in rat adrenal and bovine adrenal medulla *To whom correspondence should be addressed.…”