CENTRAL DYSREGULATION OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC-PITUITARY-ADRENAL AXIS IN NEURON-SPECIFIC PROOPIOMELANOCORTIN-DEFICIENT MICE. [Endocrinology] Journal article

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is synthesized predominantly in pituitary corticotrophs, melanotrophs, and arcuate hypothalamic neurons. Corticotroph derived ACTH mediates basal and stress induced glucocorticoid secretion, but it is uncertain whether POMC peptides produced in the brain also regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. To address this question we generated neuron-specific POMC-deficient mice by transgenic (Tg) replacement of pituitary POMC in a global Pomc(-/-) background. Selective restoration of pituitary POMC prevented the adrenal insufficiency and neonatal mortality characteristic of Pomc(-/-) mice. However, adult Pomc(-/-)Tg/+ mice expressing the pituitary-specific transgene exhibited adrenal cortical hypertrophy, elevated basal plasma corticosterone, elevated basal but attenuated stress-induced ACTH secretion, and inappropriately elevated CRH (CRH) expression in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus. In addition, Pomc(-/-)Tg/+, Pomc(+/-)Tg/+, and Pomc(+/-) mice, which all displayed varying degrees of elevated CRH, frequently developed melanotroph adenomas after one year of age while Pomc(-/-) mice, with maximal CRH expression and glucocorticoid disinhibition, developed corticotroph and melanotroph adenomas. These results indicate that neuronal POMC peptides are necessary to regulate CRH within physiological limits and that a chronic reduction or absence of hypothalamic POMC leads to trophic stimulation of pituitary cells directly or indirectly through elevated CRH levels.

Endocrinology