Induction of preprotachykinin-I and neurokinin-1 by adrenocorticotropin and prolactin. Implication for neuroendocrine-immune-hematopoietic axis

We studied the complex interactions within the neuroendocrine-immune-hemato poietic axis by determining a possible link among ACTH, PRL, PPT-I and the receptors for its peptides. NK-1 and NK-2. Indeed, ACTH and PRL induced the expression of PPT-I and NK-1 in human bone marrow stroma with no effect on NK-2. Consistent with a role for PPT-I in regulating the development of my eloid and erythroid progenitors, we found that ACTH and PRL, through NK-1 s timulated the proliferation of both types of progenitors. Induction of PPT- I was regulated at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. The results showed that ACTH and PRL stimulated the proliferation of bone marr ow progenitors, partly through PPT-I and NK-1 induction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.