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Expression of urocortin and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in the horse thyroid gland

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Abstract

Urocortin (UCN) is a 40-amino-acid peptide and a member of the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) family, which includes CRH, urotensin I, sauvagine, UCN2 and UCN3. The biological actions of CRH family peptides are mediated via two types of G-protein-coupled receptors, namely CRH type 1 receptor (CRHR1) and CRH type 2 receptor (CRHR2). The biological effects of these peptides are mediated and modulated not only by CRH receptors but also via a highly conserved CRH-binding protein (CRHBP). Our aim was to investigate the expression of UCN, CRHR1, CRHR2 and CRHBP by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and reverse transcription with the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the horse thyroid gland. The results showed that UCN, CRHR1 and CRHR2 were expressed in the thyroid gland, whereas CRHBP was not expressed. Specifically, UCN immunoreactivity (-IR) was found in the thyroid follicular cells, CRHR2-IR in the C-cells and CRHR1-IR in blood vessels. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR experiments confirmed the immunohistochemical data. These results suggest that a regulatory system exists in the mammalian thyroid gland based on UCN, CRHR1 and CRHR2 and that UCN plays a role in the regulation of thyroid physiological functions through a paracrine mechanism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Structure, Functions and Biological Technologies, University of Naples Federico II, Via Veterinaria 1, 80137, Naples, Italy

    Caterina Squillacioti, Adriana De Luca, Sabrina Alì, Salvatore Paino, Giovanna Liguori & Nicola Mirabella

  2. Department of Sciences of Animal Production, University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy

    Caterina Squillacioti, Adriana De Luca, Sabrina Alì, Salvatore Paino, Giovanna Liguori & Nicola Mirabella

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  1. Caterina Squillacioti
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  2. Adriana De Luca
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  3. Sabrina Alì
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  4. Salvatore Paino
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  5. Giovanna Liguori
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  6. Nicola Mirabella
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Correspondence to Caterina Squillacioti.

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Caterina Squillacioti and Adriana De Luca contributed equally to this work

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Squillacioti, C., De Luca, A., Alì, S. et al. Expression of urocortin and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptors in the horse thyroid gland. Cell Tissue Res 350, 45–53 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-012-1450-4

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