- 著者
-
岡 俊哉
- 出版者
- 日本歯科大学
- 雑誌
- 日本歯科大学紀要. 一般教育系 = Bulletin of the Nippon Dental University. General education (ISSN:03851605)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.48, pp.5-12, 2019-03-30
A swelling similar to that of the human hypophysis occurs in the caudal spinal cord of teleost fish. This is referred to as the “urophysis” and forms the caudal neurosecretory system together with neurosecretory cells (Dahlgren cells) located upstream of the urophysis and the fiber path from the cells. The details of the function of this system is still unknown, and study of the urophysis in fishes has declined. Amazingly, it was found that urotensin II, a peptide hormone isolated and purified from the fish urophysis, was expressing also in humans, as a potent vasoconstrictor. Recently, research on peptide hormones isolated from the urophysis has been actively performed for development of new drugs for human medicine. In this paper, this elusive fish urophysis and the caudal neurosecretory system will be discussed, and a new idea regarding the function of this system will be proposed.