Abstract
IT has been suggested that the increased skin pigmentation of pregnancy is due to increased secretion of melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) (refs 1–3), but this is not β-MSH, because the slight increase in immunoreactive β-MSH found in late pregnancy4 is much less than the changes associated with skin pigmentation. Evidence suggests that the 22 amino acid β-MSH, originally thought to be the major MSH in man5, is an extraction artefact6, and the immunoreactive β-MSH measured in the human4,7,8 is in fact β or γ lipotrophin9. Other forms of β-MSH have never been isolated from the adult human pituitary and only small quantities of α-MSH have been found10. Immunoreactive α-MSH is present in larger amounts in the human foetal pituitary11 and has also been detected in the pituitary of the pregnant woman12. We report here the presence of circulating immunoreactive α-MSH in pregnancy.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lerner, AB., Shizume, K. & Bunding, I. J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 14, 1463–1490 (1954).
Dahlberg, B. C. G. Acta Endocr., Copenh. 38, suppl. 60, 1–48 (1961).
McGuinness, B. W. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 100, 640–657 (1963).
Thody, A. J., Plummer, N. A., Burton, J. L. & Hytten, F. F. J. Obstet. Gynaec. Br. Commonw. 81, 875–877 (1974).
Harris, J. I. Nature 184, 167–169 (1959).
Scott, A. P. & Lowry, P. J. Biochem. J. 139, 593–602 (1974).
Thody, A. J. & Plummer, N. A. J. Endocr. 58, 263–273 (1973).
Abe, K., Nicholson, W. E., Liddle, G. W., Island, D. P. & Orth, D. N. J. clin. Invest. 46, 1609–1616 (1967).
Gilkes, J. J. H. et al. J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 40, 450–457 (1975).
Abe, K., Island, D. P., Liddle, G. W., Fleischer, N. & Nicholson, W. E. J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 27, 46–52 (1967).
Silman, R. E., Chard, T., Lowry, P. J., Smith, I. & Young, I. M. Nature 260, 716–718 (1976).
Visser, M. & Swaab, D. F. Frontiers Hormone Res. 4, 42–45 (1977).
Penny, R. J. & Thody, A. J. Neuroendocrinology (in the press).
Lee, T. H. & Lee, M. S. Fedn Proc. 32, Abstr. 490 (1973).
Rees, L. H., Burke, C. W., Chard, T., Evans, S. H. & Letchworth, A. T. Nature 254, 620–622 (1975).
Thody, A. J. & Shuster, S. Nature 25, 207–209 (1973).
Thody, A. J. & Shuster, S. J. Endocr. 64, 503–510 (1975).
Burton, J. L., Shuster, S. & Cartlidge, M. Acta derm.-vener. 55, 11–13 (1975).
Thody, A. J., Meddis, D. & Shuster, S. J. Endocr. 72, 28P (1977).
Thody, A. J., Meddis, D. & Shuster, S. J. invest. Derm. (in the press).
Challis, J. R. G. & Torosis, J. D. Nature 269, 818–819 (1977).
Swaab, D. F. & Visser, M. Frontiers Hormone Res. 4, 170–178 (1977).
Kastin, A. J. et al. Physiol. Behav. 7, 893–896 (1971).
De Wied, D. Life Sci. 20, 195–204 (1977).
Ashton, H. et al. Psychopharmacology 55, 165–172 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CLARK, D., THODY, A., SHUSTER, S. et al. Immunoreactive α-MSH in human plasma in pregnancy. Nature 273, 163–164 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/273163a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/273163a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Central serous retinopathy associated with adrenocorticotrophic hormone therapy
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology (1997)
-
Sex ratios, local fitness enhancement and eusociality in the allodapine bee Exoneura richardsoni
Evolutionary Ecology (1997)
-
Fever response of sheep in the peripartum period to Gram-negative and Gram-positive pyrogens
Pfl�gers Archiv European Journal of Physiology (1992)
-
Des-acetyl-α-MSH and not α-MSH is the major form of α-MSH in amniotic fluid
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation (1988)