Are μ-opioid receptors involved in the control of endothelin-1 release from the pituitary gland in normal and dehydrated rats?

Abstract The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the endogenous opioids are involved in the control of endothelin-1 release from the pituitary gland. To test this hypothesis we have measured the peripheral plasma concentration of ET-1 as well as the content of immunoreactive ET-1 (irET-1) in the pituitary in response to opioid receptors blockade in euhydrated and 24 h water-deprived Wistar-Kyoto rats. Placebo or naltrexone (50 μg/kg body wt.) were given i.v. in both groups. Trunk blood was collected to determine hematocrit, plasma sodium and ET-1 levels (RIA). Immunostaining of ET-1 in the whole pituitary glands was performed by colloidal gold labeling. The quantitative analysis of irET-1 was carried out under a light microscope using a computerized image analyzer (MultiScan). Results : (1) Twenty-four-hour dehydration resulted in marked increase of peripheral concentration of ET-1. Naltrexone injection induced a significant elevation of ET-1 plasma concentration in both, dehydrated and control animals. (2) The content of irET-1 in anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary in dehydrated rats was markedly higher than in control group. (3) Naltrexone injection caused a rapid and significant reduction irET-1 within the anterior, intermediate and posterior lobes in dehydrated and control animals. Conclusions : (1) An elevation of irET-1 in the pituitary gland and peripheral circulation in dehydrated animals may play a role in maintaining of water-electrolyte balance. (2) The μ-opioid system appears to control the ET-1 release from the pituitary in normal and dehydrated animals.