Hypothalamic norepinephrine depletion inhibits CRF-41 release following neural stimuli.

ABSTRACT

The effects of depletion of hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE) on median eminence (ME)-corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF-41) content, serum ACTH and corticosterone (CS) levels, following photic and acoustic stimulation, were investigated. While in intact rats these stimuli caused depletion in CRF-41 and a rise in ACTH and CS level, in rats pretreated with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA), these effects were prevented. This would suggest that the blockage in the release of ME CRF-41 into the portal plasma following neural stimuli in rats with hypothalamic NE depletion, is responsible for the inhibition of the pituitary-adrenocortical response.