Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), also called thyrotropin-releasing factor (TRF) or thyroliberin, is one of the smallest hormones. It is a releasing hormone produced by the hypothalamus, that stimulates the release of TSH and prolactin. It is a tropic, tripeptidal hormone which consists of a miniature chain of just three amino acid building blocks. Secretion of thyrotropin-releasing hormone by the hypothalamus can also stimulate the release of another hormone from the pituitary gland, prolactin. Apart from its role in control of thyroid stimulating hormone and prolactin release, thyrotropin-releasing hormone has a wider distribution in tissues of the nervous system where it may act as a neurotransmitter. Thyrotropin-releasing Hormone Receptor Assay allows the measurement of the activity and potency of recombinant human TRH.
To analyze the activity of rhTRH, we use a stable cell line expressing Thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor subtype 1 (TRH1). When rhTRH binds to the TRH1, it activates a G protein, which in turn triggers a cellular response mediated by second messengers (Ca2+). The high reproducibility of this assay allows monitoring Thyrotropin‐releasing hormone receptor activation process in High Throughput Screening.