EFFECT OF GHRELIN ON THE EXPRESSION AND ACTIVITY OF TYROSINE HYDROXYLASE, AN ENZYME INVOLVED IN HYPERTENSION

MARIO PERELLO; GERARDO CORRADI; NADIA A. LONGO CARBAJOSA; MARIELA M. GIRONACCI

CABA

Congreso; REUNIÓN CONJUNTA DE SOCIEDADES DE BIOCIENCIAS; 2017

SAIC, SAIB, SAI, SAFE, SAH, SAP, SAB, SAFIS, SAA

Ghrelin, is involved in several metabolic and cardiovascular processes. In the brain, the receptor for ghrelin has been shown to localize in the main cardiovascular control centers in neurons of the nucleus tractus solitaries. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the enzyme that catalyses the first and rate-limiting step in catecholamines biosynthesis, is involved in the development and maintenance of hypertension. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of ghrelin on TH expression and activity. PC12 cells were incubated in the presence or absence of 100 nM ghrelin during different times and TH expression and phosphorylation (as an index of TH activity) were evaluated by Western-blot and immunofluorescence. Our results showed that ghrelin modulate TH expression in PC12 cells in a time-dependent manner. TH expression showed an increase of 30±5% above basal after 30 min incubation but a decrease of 25±5% below basal after 24 h incubation in the presence of ghrelin (P