Vitamin D-induction of secretory responses in rat pituitary tumour (GH4C1) cells

1988 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Wark ◽  
V. Gurtler

ABSTRACT 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25-(OH)2D3) selectively enhances prolactin gene expression in GH4C1 clonal rat pituitary tumour cells. Because this effect requires extracellular Ca2+, we studied the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on another Ca2+-dependent process, agonist-induced hormone secretion. Pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (1 nmol/l) caused at least 25-fold sensitization of GH4C1 cells to the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channel agonist BAY K 8644 (methyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro-4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-pyridine-5-carboxylate) as a prolactin secretagogue. This inductive effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 followed a similar time-course to the enhancement of prolactin production. 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect on basal or BAY K 8644-induced 45Ca2+ uptake. The Ca2+-selective divalent cation ionophore 11,19,21-trihydroxy-4,6,8,12,14,18,20-heptamethyl-9-oxo-22-(tetrahydro-5 methyl-5-tetra hydro-5-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-methyl-2-furanyl)-10,16-docosadienoic acid (ionomycin; 12 nmol/l–1·2 μmol/l) caused no significant increase in prolactin secretion in the absence of 1,25-(OH)2D3, but in cells treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3-(1 nmol/l), it increased prolactin secretion by 73% at 12 nmol/l and by a maximum of 98% at 0·12 μmol/l. These data demonstrate that vitamin D markedly enhances the responsiveness of GH4C1 functional pituitary tumour cells to two secretagogues which acts primarily through Ca2+-dependent mechanisms. They support the proposal that 1,25-(OH)2D3 acts in this cultured cell model either by effecting a redistribution of intracellular Ca2+ or by increasing the response of a Ca2+ -sensitive effector system, but not by enhancing agonist-induced Ca2+ uptake. J. Endocr. (1988) 117, 293–298

1987 ◽  
Vol 19 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 169-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bjøro ◽  
P.A. Torjesen ◽  
B.C. Østberg ◽  
O. Sand ◽  
J-G. Iversen ◽  
...  

1986 ◽  
Vol 233 (2) ◽  
pp. 513-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Wark ◽  
V Gurtler

Clonal strains of rat pituitary tumour (GH4C1) cells are known to possess specific intracellular binding sites for calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3). GH4C1 cells respond to calcitriol by a selective increase in prolactin(PRL)-gene expression. The interaction between calcitriol and glucocorticoids was studied by using this cultured-cell model. It was found that cortisol potently antagonized the induction of PRL mRNA and PRL production by calcitriol. The effects were concentration-dependent and were evident at glucocorticoid concentrations that did not alter basal PRL production. Inhibition was half-maximal at 3.2 nM-cortisol and 0.4 nM-dexamethasone. Calcitriol-induced PRL mRNA fell by more than 50% at 25 h and reached the control level 50 h after treatment with cortisol. The inhibition by cortisol of calcitriol induction of PRL production was selective when compared with effects on other inducers of PRL-gene expression [thyroliberin, epidermal growth factor and phorbol myristate acetate (‘12-omicron-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate’)]. Potent antagonism by glucocorticoids of vitamin D action on specific gene expression has been demonstrated. Further studies with this cultured-cell model may help to explain the mechanism of this hormonal interaction, which assumes particular importance at major sites of vitamin D action such as the intestine.


1989 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. d'Emden ◽  
J. D. Wark

ABSTRACT Vitamin D may regulate pituitary function, as there are selective effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on gene expression in clonal pituitary tumour cells, and on TRH-induced TSH release in normal rat pituitary cells in vitro. The role of Ca2+ in 1,25-(OH)2D3-enhanced TSH release from primary rat pituitary cell cultures was investigated. Pretreatment with 10 nmol 1,25-(OH)2D3/l for 24 h augmented KCl (3–60 mmol/l)-induced TSH release over 1 h at all KCl concentrations greater than 7·5 mmol/l (P< 0·001), with a 76% enhancement of TSH release induced by 30 mmol KCl/l (P<0·001). The Ca2+ channel antagonist nifedipine (10 nmol/l–10 μmol/l) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of KCl (60 mmol/l)-induced TSH secretion. Pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 enhanced KCl-induced release at all concentrations of nifedipine (P<0·001). The Ca2+ selective divalent cation ionophore ionomycin (1 nmol/l–1 μmol/l), and the Ca2+ channel agonist BAY K 8644 (10 nmol/l–1 μmol/l) increased prolactin secretion but did not increase TSH release, and 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect. At an extracellular Ca2+ concentration of less than 500 nmol/l, TRH-induced TSH release was observed only after treatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (P<0·01). As the extracellular Ca2+ concentration was increased, greater increments of TRH-induced TSH release were observed following pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (P<0·01). However, the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the thyrotroph was independent of the pretreatment extracellular Ca2+ concentration. We have shown that 1,25-(OH)2D3 acts selectively on the thyrotroph to enhance in-vitro responsiveness to TRH and KCl. These data suggest that the action of 1,25-(OH)2D3 in the thyrotroph is to enhance intracellular signal transduction. They further support a permissive or regulatory role of vitamin D in the normal pituitary gland. Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 121, 441–450


1983 ◽  
Vol 104 (2_Supplb) ◽  
pp. S66-S69
Author(s):  
P. Aleström ◽  
E.J. Paulssen ◽  
V. Gautvik ◽  
M. Kriz ◽  
E. Haug ◽  
...  

1982 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Cronin ◽  
D. A. Keefer ◽  
C. A. Valdenegro ◽  
L. G. Dabney ◽  
R. M. MacLeod

The MtTW15 transplantable pituitary tumour grown in rats was tested in vitro for the ability of dopamine agonists to affect prolactin secretion and for the existence of dopamine receptors. Prolactin release from enzymatically dispersed cells and non-enzymatically treated tissue fragments of both the tumour and the anterior pituitary gland was determined in a cell perifusion column apparatus. Dopamine (0·1–5 μmol/l), bromocriptine (50 nmol/l) and the dopamine antagonist haloperidol (100 nmol/l) had no effect on prolactin release from the tumour cells. In contrast, dopamine (500 nmol/l) inhibited prolactin secretion from normal anterior pituitary cells in a parallel cell column and haloperidol blocked this inhibition. Although oestrogen treatment in vivo stimulated prolactin release in vitro when the tumour was removed and studied in the cell column, oestrogen had no effect on the inability of dopamine to modify the prolactin secretion. Growth hormone release from the tumour cells was not affected by dopamine. Although MtTW15 cells were refractory to dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin release, the dopamine receptors present in tumour homogenates were indistinguishable from the dopamine receptors previously defined in the normal anterior pituitary gland. The binding of the dopamine antagonist [3H]spiperone to the tumour was saturable (110 fmol/mg protein), of high affinity to one apparent class of sites (dissociation constant = 0·12 nmol/l), reversible and sensitive to guanine nucleotides. The pharmacology of the binding was defined in competition studies with a large number of agonists and antagonists. From the order of potency of these agents, a dopaminergic interaction was apparent. We conclude that the prolactin-secreting MtTW15 tumour cells appear to be completely unresponsive to dopamine or to the potent dopamine agonist bromocriptine, in spite of apparently normal dopamine receptors in the tumour.


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