help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 71, No. 2 360-369
doi:10.1210/jcem-71-2-360
Copyright © 1990 by the Endocrine Society.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by TAKIYYUDDIN, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by O’CONNOR, D. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by TAKIYYUDDIN, M. A.
Right arrow Articles by O’CONNOR, D. T.

Neuroendocrine Sources of Chromogranin-A in Normal Man: Clues from Selective Stimulation of Endocrine Glands*

MARWAN A. TAKIYYUDDIN{dagger}, JUSTINE H. CERVENKA, M. R. PANDIAN, CYNTHIA A. STUENKEL, HARTMUT P. H. NEUMANN and DANIEL T. O’CONNOR

Departments of Medicine and Reproductive Medicine, University of California, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center San Diego, California 92161
Albert Ludwigs Universitat Freiburg, West Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Marwan A. Takiyyuddin, M.D., Nephrology/Hypertension (111H), Veterans Administration Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, California 92161.

Chromogranin-A (CgA), as measured in the circulation by RIA, has emerged as a useful probe of exocytotic sympathoadrenal activity in man as well as of the presence and extent of neuroendocrine neoplasia. Here we studied, using a sensitive RIA, the distribution of CgA immunoreactivity in normal human neuroendocrine tissues. Furthermore, to investigate whether these normal tissue sources measurably contribute to plasma CgA, we measured plasma CgA, catecholamine, and other polypeptide hormone responses to selective stimuli of secretion at several sites within the neuroendocrine system. Immunoreactive CgA was ubiquitous in human neuroendocrine tissues, in rank order of concentration (micrograms per g wet wt): adrenal medulla > pituitary > pancreas > stomach > small intestine (jejunoileum) > brain (frontal cortex) > parathyroid > thyroid. Quantitatively, neuroendocrine tissues other than the adrenal medulla possessed only 0.04–25% of the immunoreactivity found in the adrenal medulla. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia, a potent stimulus of adrenomedullary secretion, resulted in 1.7- and 14-fold rises in plasma CgA and epinephrine, respectively. However, insulin-induced hypoglycemia failed to perturb plasma CgA in three bilaterally adrenalectomized patients, suggesting that the adrenal medulla is the source of plasma CgA elevation during hypoglycemia in normal subjects. Cell type-selective secretagogue stimulation of normal endocrine secretory cells other than the adrenal medulla (pituitary, pancreas, gut, thyroid, and parathyroid) induced measurable increments in the concentrations of the resident peptide hormones, but left plasma CgA unperturbed. Nonselective stimulation of a wide variety of endocrine secretory cells with pentagastrin elevated plasma CgA 1.4-fold. However, restriction of pentagastrin’s targets by coinfusion of calcium abolished the effect on plasma CgA. Hence, within the normal human neuroendocrine system, only selective stimulation of the adrenal medulla is likely to elevate plasma CgA under physiological or pharmacological circumstances. This is consistent with our finding of the adrenal medulla as the quantitatively major normal neuroendocrine tissue source of CgA immunoreactivity.

* This work was supported by the V.A., the NIH, the American Heart Association, and the National Kidney Foundation.

{dagger} Fellow of the National Kidney Foundation.

Received January 12, 1990.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Ann Rheum DisHome page
G Di Comite, P Previtali, C M Rossi, G Dell'Antonio, P Rovere-Querini, L Praderio, L Dagna, A Corti, C Doglioni, A Maseri, et al.
High blood levels of chromogranin A in giant cell arteritis identify patients refractory to corticosteroid treatment
Ann Rheum Dis, February 1, 2009; 68(2): 293 - 295.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Chem.Home page
T. Borglum, J. F. Rehfeld, L. B. Drivsholm, and L. Hilsted
Processing-Independent Quantitation of Chromogranin A in Plasma from Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors and Small-Cell Lung Carcinomas
Clin. Chem., March 1, 2007; 53(3): 438 - 446.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
EndocrinologyHome page
N. Kanamoto, T. Akamizu, T. Tagami, Y. Hataya, K. Moriyama, K. Takaya, H. Hosoda, M. Kojima, K. Kangawa, and K. Nakao
Genomic Structure and Characterization of the 5'-Flanking Region of the Human Ghrelin Gene
Endocrinology, September 1, 2004; 145(9): 4144 - 4153.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
NEJMHome page
L. Taupenot, K. L. Harper, and D. T. O'Connor
The Chromogranin-Secretogranin Family
N. Engl. J. Med., March 20, 2003; 348(12): 1134 - 1149.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Reproductive SciencesHome page
P. Florio, A. Mezzesimi, V. Turchetti, F. M. Severi, C. Ticconi, S. Forconi, and F. Petraglia
High Levels of Human Chromogranin A in Umbilical Cord Plasma and Amniotic Fluid at Parturition
Reproductive Sciences, January 1, 2002; 9(1): 32 - 36.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Chem.Home page
T. Borglum Jensen, L. Hilsted, and J. F. Rehfeld
Library of Sequence-specific Radioimmunoassays for Human Chromogranin A
Clin. Chem., April 1, 1999; 45(4): 549 - 560.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
HypertensionHome page
M. A. Takiyyuddin, R. J. Parmer, M. T. Kailasam, J. H. Cervenka, B. Kennedy, M. G. Ziegler, M.-C. Lin, J. Li, C. E. Grim, F. A. Wright, et al.
Chromogranin A in Human Hypertension : Influence of Heredity
Hypertension, July 1, 1995; 26(1): 213 - 220.
[Abstract] [Full Text]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 1990 by The Endocrine Society