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Hormones as Immune Modulating Agents
Published in Thomas F. Kresina, Immune Modulating Agents, 2020
Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone is an important regulator of fever and inflammation and antagonizes a number of pyretic and proinflammatory cytokines. Like all the other proopiomelanocortin-(POMC)-derived peptides, it acts within the brain and also in the periphery. α-MSH is also implicated in hapten-specific tolerance induction.
Physiology of the Pituitary Gland
Published in John C Watkinson, Raymond W Clarke, Louise Jayne Clark, Adam J Donne, R James A England, Hisham M Mehanna, Gerald William McGarry, Sean Carrie, Basic Sciences Endocrine Surgery Rhinology, 2018
Mária Hérincs, Karen Young, Márta Korbonits
In addition, ACTH secretion has a superimposed pulsatile release pattern. The increase in cortisol is crucial for the appropriate stress response of the body and, if the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is compromised, cortisol treatment is life-saving in stress situations such as infection or surgery. Since ACTH is derived from POMC, conditions that lead to synthesis of large amounts of ACTH will also result in accumulation of other POMC-derived peptides. Raised levels of the alpha melanocyte-stimulating hormone lead to characteristic darkening of the skin. This phenomenon is seen in adrenal insufficiency, ectopic ACTH-secreting tumours and Nelson syndrome.
Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone in the Central Nervous System
Published in Mac E. Hadley, The Melanotropic Peptides, 1988
Bibie M. Chronwall, Thomas L. O’Donohue
Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) was first described in neurons in the brain in 1978.1-3 The α-MSH immunoreactive material in the brain was later found to be comprised of both acetylated and desacetyl peptides, as occurs in the pituitary, but the brain contained relatively more of the desacetyl peptide.4-5 The distribution of α-MSH was remarkably similar to that previously shown for β-endorphin. This fact, combined with the discovery that α-MSH and β-endorphin were derived from a common prohormone, pro- opiomelanocortion (POMC), suggested the existence of a multiple neurotransmitter neuron for the first time.6,7 These findings have led to extensive studies of the POMC neuronal system and multiple neurotransmitters in the central nervous system.
Effects of Subcutaneous Repository Corticotropin Gel Injection on Regulatory T Cell Population in Noninfectious Retinal Vasculitis
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2023
Stephen D. Anesi, Peter Y. Chang, Arash Maleki, Ambika Manhapra, Sydney Look-Why, Soheila Asgari, Marisa Walsh, Kayla Drenen, C. Stephen Foster
Repository corticotropin gel injection (RCI, Acthar® Gel) is made up of a naturally sourced complex mixture of multiple peptides. The major component of RCI is N-25 deaminated porcine adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH 1–39). ACTH’s cleavage product, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH), has been shown to exert glucocorticoid independent anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects on peripheral immune cells by binding to the melanocortin receptors (MCRs) MCR1, MCR3, and MCR5.8 RCI has been used to treat several systemic immune-mediated diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, and multiple sclerosis.8 Although the use of RCI for the treatment of resistant ocular inflammatory diseases has increased in the last several years, it has not yet been extensively studied.9–12
Leptin’s Immune Action: A Review Beyond Satiety
Published in Immunological Investigations, 2023
Alice Abend Bardagi, Clarissa dos Santos Paschoal, Giovanna Ganem Favero, Luisa Riccetto, Maria Luisa Alexandrino Dias, Gil Guerra Junior, Giovanna Degasperi
The arcuate nucleus, located at the base of the hypothalamus (Bouret et al. 2004), expresses a higher density of LepRb in its neurons, suggesting that leptin has a big role in hunger-satiety regulation in this region (Flak and Myers 2016). This nucleus sustains connections with the ventromedial, dorsomedial, and paraventricular nuclei, which also express leptin receptors, implying that they are also involved in modulating the hunger cycle (Perello and Raingo 2013). In the arcuate nucleus, leptin activates POMC-producing neurons. Consequently, POMC is cleaved into alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), which inhibits food intake via melanocortin receptors 3 and 4 (MC3R and MC4R). Leptin also inhibits AgRP, NPY, and GABAergic neurons, thus inhibiting the hunger feeling (Coppari et al. 2005). During fasting periods, the activation of AgRP, NPY, and GABAergic neurons motivate and enable food seeking behaviors; on the other hand, anorexigenic neurons are activated by the increase in leptin blood levels after food intake (Davis et al. 2011).
Is there a therapeutic potential in combining bupropion and naltrexone in schizophrenia?
Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 2022
Samer A. El Hayek, Malek A. Shatila, Jana A. Adnan, Luna E. Geagea, Firas Kobeissy, Farid R. Talih
BUPNAT is an oral extended-release tablet composed of a combination of the dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake inhibitor bupropion (BUP) and the µ-opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone (NAT) [18]. The BUP 90 mg/NAT 8 mg formulation (marketed under the brand name Contrave by Orexigen Therapeutics), is typically titrated to 4 tablets per day (BUP 360 mg/NAT 32 mg) by the fourth week of treatment [19]. The development of the drug started in the late 2000s. It gained FDA approval for the treatment of obesity in 2014 [20]. It is hypothesized to work via the stimulation of the hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons that release alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH). α-MSH, in turn, targets specific receptors that serve to reduce caloric intake and increase energy expenditure. When α-MSH is released, POMC neurons also simultaneously secrete µ-opioid receptor agonists. This activates a negative feedback loop on the system. BUPNAT works on both pathways by stimulating POMC neurons (via its BUP component) and inhibiting the negative feedback loop (through the NAT component) [21] (Figure 1).