Biosynthetic response of mouse intermediate pituitary gland to induced drinking and dehydration

There are indications that the intermediate lobe peptide alpha-MSH is involved in the regulation of the hydromineral balance in mice and other mammals. The purpose of our studies was to determine whether manipulation of this balance in the mouse could lead to changes in either the rate of POMC biosynthesis in the pars intermedia or to changes in the direction of the processing of the precursor protein to form bioactive peptides. The results show that excess drinking, induced by substitution of drinking water by a 5% glucose solution, causes a rapid increase in POMC synthesis, whereas dehydration has the opposite effect; no evidence could be found that the above treatments have any effect on the processing of POMC, although strain differences were found in level of N-terminal acetylation of newly synthesized melanotropins and endorphins. The changes in various parameters of the hydromineral balance of the animals are consistent with the concept that peptides of the pars intermedia may be involved in regulating plasma aldosterone levels under severe conditions of low plasma sodium concentration.