scholarly journals Direct Stimulatory Effects of Oxytocin in Female Rat Gonadotrophs and Somatotrophs In Vitro: Comparison With Lactotrophs

Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 156 (2) ◽  
pp. 600-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arturo E. Gonzalez-Iglesias ◽  
Patrick A. Fletcher ◽  
José A. Arias-Cristancho ◽  
Ruth Cristancho-Gordo ◽  
Cleyde V. Helena ◽  
...  

The peptide oxytocin (OT) is secreted by hypothalamic neurons and exerts numerous actions related to reproduction. OT stimulation of prolactin secretion in female rats is important during the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and lactation. Here we report that OT also stimulates transients of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in somatotrophs and gonadotrophs as well as the release of GH and LH in a dose-dependent manner with EC50 values that closely correspond to the ligand affinity of the OT receptor (OTR). Remarkably, the hormone-releasing effect of OT in these two cell types is 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than that in lactotrophs. The specific OTR agonist [Thr4,Gly7]-oxytocin acutely stimulated the release of LH, GH, and prolactin from female rat pituitary cells in primary culture and increased intracellular Ca2+ concentration in gonadotrophs, somatotrophs, and lactotrophs. In these three cell types, the effects on hormone release and intracellular Ca2+ of both OT and [Thr4,Gly7]oxytocin were abolished by the specific OT receptor antagonist desGly-NH2-d(CH2)5[D-Tyr2,Thr4]OVT but not by the highly selective vasopressin V1a receptor antagonist, d(CH2)5[Tyr(Me)2,Dab5]AVP. Furthermore, 10 nM arginine vasopressin stimulated LH and GH release comparably with a dose of OT that was at least 10 times lower. Finally, the presence of the OTR-like immunoreactivity could be observed in all three cell types. Taken together, these results show that OT directly stimulates gonadotrophs, somatotrophs, and lactotrophs through OT receptors and suggest that OT signaling may serve to coordinate the release of different pituitary hormones during specific physiological conditions.

1988 ◽  
Vol 117 (4_Suppl) ◽  
pp. S188-S189
Author(s):  
L. KIESEL ◽  
T. RABE ◽  
D. SCHOLZ ◽  
V. KIRSCHNER ◽  
B. RUNNEBAUM

1980 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. DELITALA ◽  
T. YEO ◽  
ASHLEY GROSSMAN ◽  
N. R. HATHWAY ◽  
G. M. BESSER

The inhibitory effects of dopamine and various ergot alkaloids on prolactin secretion were studied using continuously perfused columns of dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells. Bromocriptine (5 nmol/l) and lisuride hydrogen maleate (5 nmol/l) both inhibited prolactin secretion, the effects persisting for more than 3 h after the end of the administration of the drugs. A similar although less long-lasting effect was observed with lergotrile (50 nmol/l) and the new ergoline derivative, pergolide (5 nmol/l). These effects contrasted with the rapid disappearance of the action of dopamine. The potency estimates of the ergots relative to that of dopamine were: lergotrile, 2·3; bromocriptine, 13; lisuride, 15; pergolide, 23. The dopamine-receptor blocking drugs, metoclopramide and haloperidol, antagonized the prolactin release-inhibiting activity of the compounds; bromocriptine and lisuride showed the highest resistance to this dopaminergic blockade. The results suggested that the direct effect of the ergot derivatives on dispersed pituitary cells was mediated through dopamine receptors and emphasized the long-lasting action of bromocriptine and lisuride in vitro.


1984 ◽  
Vol 246 (3) ◽  
pp. E243-E248
Author(s):  
A. L. Goodman

To examine a regulatory role for inhibin in female rabbits, an in vitro bioassay for inhibin activity was modified to use cultured rabbit pituitary cells and charcoal-extracted porcine follicular fluid (pFFx) as a reference preparation. pFFx inhibited follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release in a dose-dependent manner in cultures from both intact (I) and castrate (C) does at doses that also inhibited FSH release by cultured rat pituitary cells. Basal FSH release by I cells was inhibited greater than 10% by 0.02% (vol/vol) and greater than 90% by greater than or equal to 0.2% pFFx, whereas in C cells maximal inhibition of FSH release plateaued at only approximately 75%. FSH secretion was restored after removal of pFFx in day 2 media. Luteinizing hormone (LH) release by C cells was not inhibited at any dose of pFFx, but in I cells LH was progressively inhibited to approximately 60% of control levels during day 2 (but not day 1). Charcoal-extracted media (0.25-1%) in which 5 X 10(5) rabbit granulosa cells had been earlier cultured for 72 h produced a parallel inhibition of FSH release. The present findings demonstrate that 1) rabbit pituitary cells are responsive to inhibin, i.e., pFFx preferentially inhibited FSH secretion in a direct, graded, and reversible manner and 2) rabbit follicular granulosa cells secrete an inhibin-like substance.


1999 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 375-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Miyamoto ◽  
M Irahara ◽  
K Ushigoe ◽  
A Kuwahara ◽  
H Sugino ◽  
...  

We investigated the effect of activin A on secretion of LH, FSH, and prolactin (PRL) by female cultured rat pituitary cells at the single-cell level by means of the cell immunoblot assay. Anterior pituitary cells from 8-week-old female rats were preincubated with or without activin A for 24 h, after which they were monodispersed and immediately used for cell immunoblot assay. The percentages of LH-, FSH- and PRL-immunoreactive cell blots detected were 5.5, 5.3 and 43.1%, respectively, of all pituitary cells applied to the transfer membrane. The percentage of LH-secreting cells and mean LH secretion per cell did not change after treatment with activin. In contrast, activin significantly increased the percentage of FSH-secreting cells and mean FSH secretion per cell to 136.0 and 114. 5% respectively. In addition, activin significantly decreased the percentage of PRL-secreting cells and mean PRL secretion per cell to 52.2 and 72.0% respectively. These results suggest that (1) activin A has effects on female rat pituitary cells that increase not only the amount of FSH secretion per cell but also the number of FSH-secreting cells, and (2) activin A decreases both the amount of PRL secretion per cell and the number of PRL-secreting cells.


1987 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Nakagawa ◽  
Tatsuya Ishizuka ◽  
Takao Obara ◽  
Miyao Matsubara ◽  
Kazumasa Akikawa

Abstract. The mechanism of apparently discrepant actions of glucocorticoids (GC) on GH secretion, in vivo suppression and in vitro potentiation, was studied in rats. Dexamethasone (Dex), at the concentration of 50 nmol/l, Potentiated basal and GHRH-stimulated GH release from monolayer culture of normal rat pituitary cells in 48 h. On the other hand, in vivo administration of Dex, 165 μg daily for 3 days, consistently suppressed serum GH levels in female rats. In these rats, the hypothalamic content of immunoreactive (IR) SRIH was significantly increased, whereas that of IR-GHRH was significantly decreased in comparison with the untreated rats. Bioassayable GH-releasing activity was also lower in Dex-treated rats. These findings indicate that the suppressing effect of GC on GH release in vivo is, at least partially, due to the increase in hypothalamic SRIH release and probably also to the decrease in GHRH release, and these effects surpass the potentiating effect of GC on GH release at the pituitary level, resulting in a net inhibitory effect in vivo.


1990 ◽  
Vol 126 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wynick ◽  
R. Critchley ◽  
M. S. Venetikou ◽  
J. M. Burrin ◽  
S. R. Bloom

ABSTRACT As the secretory granules of anterior pituitary cells fuse with the cell surface, there would appear to be sufficient hormone present on the cell surface to be labelled by polyclonal hormone antibodies and thus analysed by flow cytometry. We have therefore applied fluorescence-activated cell sorting to these labelled pituitary cells. Percentage purity and depletion of other cell types was assessed by immunocytochemistry and the reverse haemolytic plaque assay (RHPA). Results demonstrate that fluorescence-activated cell sorting allows almost complete purification of functional lactotrophs and somatotrophs to 96·7 ±1·7 (s.e.m.)% and 98±1·0% respectively by immunocytochemistry, and to 95·8 ±1·1% and 97±0·8% respectively by RHPA. Depletion of other anterior pituitary cell types to less than 2% was demonstrated by both immunocytochemistry and RHPA. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting to this degree of purity was routinely possible with cell yields of 91 ±3·4%. To obtain such purity/depletion, it was necessary to use specific antisera of high titre, at concentrations which ensured maximal cell-surface labelling associated with maximal stimulation of hormonal secretion by the appropriate hypothalamic stimulatory factor. Separating cells on the basis of the intensity of prolactin cell-surface labelling demonstrated a low level of binding of the prolactin antibody to gonadotrophs (but not of sufficient fluorescence intensity to be sorted into the prolactin enriched population), raising the possibility of prolactin receptors on gonadotrophs. We were unable to demonstrate the presence of mammosomatotrophs in the normal female rat, since purified lactotrophs did not contain or secrete GH nor did purified somatotrophs contain or secrete prolactin. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 269–274


2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 2826-2830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tami Rubinek ◽  
Moshe Hadani ◽  
Gad Barkai ◽  
Shlomo Melmed ◽  
Ilan Shimon

The hypothalamic peptide PRL-releasing peptide (PrRP) has recently been cloned and identified as a ligand of an orphan pituitary receptor that stimulates in vitro PRL secretion. PrRP also induces PRL release in rats in vivo, especially in normal cycling females. However, no information on the effects of PrRP in the human is available. To elucidate the role of PrRP in regulating human anterior pituitary hormones, we used human PrRP-31 in primary cultures of human pituitary tissues, including fetal (20–27 weeks gestation) and normal adult pituitaries, as well as PRL- and GH-secreting adenomas. PrRP increased PRL secretion from human fetal pituitary cultures in a dose-dependent manner by up to 35% (maximal effect achieved with 10 nm), whereas TRH was slightly more potent for PRL release. Coincubation with estradiol resulted in enhanced fetal PRL response to PrRP, and GH release was only increased in the presence of estradiol. Although PRL secretion from PRL-cell adenomas was not affected by PrRP, PrRP induced PRL release from cultures of a GH-cell adenoma that cosecreted PRL. PrRP enhanced GH release in several GH-secreting adenomas studied by 25–27%, including GH stimulation in a mixed PRL-GH-cell tumor. These results show for the first time direct in vitro effects of PrRP-31 on human pituitary cells. PrRP is less potent than TRH in releasing PRL from human fetal lactotrophs and is unable to release PRL from PRL-cell adenomas in culture, but stimulated GH from several somatotroph adenomas. Thus, PrRP may participate in regulating GH, in addition to PRL, in the human pituitary.


1986 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. K. Banks ◽  
S. E. Inkster ◽  
N. White ◽  
S. L. Jeffcoate

ABSTRACT Catecholoestrogens are naturally occurring metabolites of oestrogens which are found in brain tissue and for which a neuroendocrine role has been postulated. However, reports of their effects on prolactin secretion are ambiguous and as yet no defined function has been attributed to them. The effects of 2-hydroxyoestradiol (2-OHE2) and dopamine on the release of prolactin in vitro by perfused pituitary glands from normal adult female rats at different stages of the oestrous cycle have been investigated. The purity and stability of the 2-OHE2 preparation before and after exposure to pituitary tissue was confirmed by radioenzymatic assay and subsequent thin-layer chromatography. Dopamine (500 nmol/l, 100 nmol/l) was found consistently to suppress release by 60%; this effect was immediate and reversible upon removal of the dopamine. In contrast, the effects of 2-OHE2 (10 nmol/l, 100 nmol/l) were found to vary during the cycle. No effect on prolactin release was evident during either dioestrus or pro-oestrus, but during oestrus a similar, though less potent, suppression of prolactin secretion to that of dopamine was observed (35% suppression compared with controls). The cyclical variation in the suppressive effect of 2-OHE2 on prolactin secretion in the female rat is compatible with a postulated neuroendocrine role for this catecholoestrogen. J. Endocr. (1986) 111, 199–204


1985 ◽  
Vol 107 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Symons ◽  
J. Arendt ◽  
S. J. Pryde

ABSTRACT The effect of melatonin on the stimulated release of LH from prepubertal female rat pituitary cells in vitro was investigated. Significant inhibition of LH-releasing hormone and calcium ionophore-induced LH release was seen but not of potassium-induced release. These results suggest a specific interaction between melatonin and the endogenous events leading to LH release, and may implicate melatonin as an important neuroendocrine component of pubertal development in this species. J. Endocr. (1985) 107, 107–112


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick A. Fletcher ◽  
Rafael M. Prévide ◽  
Kosara Smiljanic ◽  
Arthur Sherman ◽  
Steven L. Coon ◽  
...  

AbstractThe mammalian pituitary gland is a complex organ consisting of hormone-producing cells (HPC), nonhormonal folliculostellate cells (FSC) and pituicytes, vascular pericytes and endothelial cells, and putative Sox2-expressing stem cells. Here, we used scRNAseq analysis of adult female rat pituitary cells to study the heterogeneity of pituitary cells with a focus on evaluating the transcriptomic profile of the Sox2-expressing population. Samples containing whole pituitary and separated anterior and posterior lobe cells allowed the identification of all expected pituitary resident cell types and lobe-specific subpopulations of vascular cells. Sox2 was expressed uniformly in all FSC, pituicytes, and a fraction of HPC. FSC comprised two subclusters; FSC1 contained more cells but expressed less genetic diversity compared to FSC2. The latter contained proliferative cells, expressed genes consistent with stem cell niche formation, including tight junctions, and shared genes with HPC. The FSC2 transcriptome profile was also consistent with the activity of pathways regulating cell proliferation and stem cell pluripotency, including the Hippo and Wnt pathways. The expression of other stem cell marker genes was common for FSC and pituicytes (Sox9, Cd9, Hes1, Vim, S100b) or cell type-specific (FSC: Prop1, Prrx1, Pitx1, Pitx2, Lhx3; pituicytes: Fgf10, Tbx3, Lhx2, Nkx2-1, Rax). FSC and pituicytes also expressed other astroglial marker genes, some common and other distinct, consistent with their identities as astroglial cells of the pituitary. These data suggest functional heterogeneity of FSC, with a larger fraction representing classical FSC, and a smaller fraction containing active stem-like cells and HPC-committed progenitors.


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