Effects of physical activity on prolactin and thyroid hormones

Thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine, as well as the hormone of anterior pituitary gland prolactin, play an important role in various physiological processes in the human body. In high-stress situations, these hormones act to maintain homeostasis. One of the severe stressors is physical activity. Prolactin and thyroid hormones control the energy metabolism during physical activity, and are also an important link in adaptive reactions in response to physical activity.

Alteration of Extracellular Matrix Components in the Anterior Pituitary Gland of Neonatal Rats Induced by a Maternal Bisphenol A Diet during Pregnancy

The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays crucial roles in the anterior pituitary gland via the mechanism of cell–ECM interaction. Since bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine disruptor, can cross through the placenta from mother to fetus and bind with estrogen receptors, cell populations in the neonatal anterior pituitary gland could be the target cells affected by this chemical. The present study treated maternal rats with 5000 µg/kg body weight of BPA daily throughout the pregnancy period and then investigated the changes in ECM-producing cells, i.e., pericytes and folliculostellate (FS) cells, including their ECM production in the neonatal anterior pituitary at Day 1. We found that pericytes and their collagen synthesis reduced, consistent with the increase in the number of FS cells that expressed several ECM regulators—matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) family. The relative MMP9/TIMP1 ratio was extremely high, indicating that the control of ECM homeostasis was unbalanced. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy showed the unorganized cell cluster in the BPA-treated group. This study revealed that although the mother received BPA at the “no observed adverse effect” level, alterations in ECM-producing cells as well as collagen and the related ECM balancing genes occurred in the neonatal anterior pituitary gland.

Claudin-9 constitutes tight junctions of folliculo-stellate cells in the anterior pituitary gland

The anterior pituitary gland regulates growth, metabolism, and reproduction by secreting hormones. Folliculo-stellate (FS) cells are non-endocrine cells located among hormone-producing cells in the anterior pituitary glands. They form follicular lumens, which are sealed by tight junctions (TJs). Although FS cells are hypothesized to contribute to fine-tuning of endocrine cells, little is known about the exact roles of FS cells. Here, we investigated the molecular composition of TJs in FS cells. We demonstrated that occludin is a good marker for TJs in the pituitary gland and examined the structure of the lumens surrounded by FS cells. We also found that claudin-9 is a major component of TJs in the FS cells. In immunoelectron microscopy, claudin-9 was specifically localized at TJs of the FS cells. The expression of claudin-9 was gradually increased in the pituitary gland after birth, suggesting that claudin-9 is developmentally regulated and performs some specific functions on the paracellular barrier of follicles in the pituitary gland. Furthermore, we found that angulin-1, angulin-2, and tricellulin are localized at the tricellular contacts of the FS cells. Our findings provide a first comprehensive molecular profile of TJs in the FS cells, and may lead us towards unveiling the FS cell functions.

BODY IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS OF PREGNANT AND NEWLY-CALVED COWS

The research was performed to identify the most effective bio immunostimulant. We used PS-2 and Prevention-N-E biologicals developed on the basis of the Chuvash State Agrarian University, as well as widely used in veterinary practice - PDE and E-selenium. Injection of PS-2 and Prevention-NE preparations to dry cows at a dose of 10.0 ml three times 45-40, 25-20 and 15-10 days before calving, as well as PDE and E-selenium at a dose of 20.0 and 10.0 ml 20 days before calving, respectively, prevents postpartum diseases. The mechanism of action of the PS-2 and Prevention-N-E drugs developed and tested by us is manifested, first of all, due to the consecutive processes of macrophage activation, as a result of the action of polysaccharide corpuscles and drug components on macrophage receptors. Secondly, information from the receptors of macrophages and chemoreceptors is transmitted along the afferent pathway to the cerebral cortex, then the signals go to the hypothalamus, which leads to liberin secretion by the nuclei of the ashen tuber of the hypothalamus. Liberins, in turn, increase the release of hormones by the anterior pituitary gland - the adenohypophysis. The anterior pituitary gland releases tropic hormones: somatotropic hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, etc. These hormones are involved in metabolic processes in the body. Under the influence of preparations, in cows the time of membranes sweep was reduced, the risk of uterus subinvolution and endometritis decreased. In cows, the timing of the onset of estrus, the insemination rate, and the service period were shortened, and the conception rate increased in one estrus. In such a way, against the background of the use of biologicals with the help of nonspecific adaptive reactions, the body retains the relative constancy of the internal environment necessary for life - homeostasis, and it actively resists the adverse effects of the external environment, increasing its phylactic power. Consequently, new opportunities are opening up for the implementation of the reproductive and productive qualities of cattle due to the body immunoprophylaxis with complex biological products of a new generation.

TGFBR3L—An Uncharacterised Pituitary Specific Membrane Protein Detected in the Gonadotroph Cells in Non-Neoplastic and Tumour Tissue

Here, we report the investigation of transforming growth factor beta-receptor 3 like (TGFBR3L), an uncharacterised pituitary specific membrane protein, in non-neoplastic anterior pituitary gland and pituitary neuroendocrine tumours. A polyclonal antibody produced within the Human Protein Atlas project (HPA074356) was used for TGFBR3L staining and combined with SF1 and FSH for a 3-plex fluorescent protocol, providing more details about the cell lineage specificity of TGFBR3L expression. A cohort of 230 pituitary neuroendocrine tumours were analysed. In a subgroup of previously characterised gonadotroph tumours, correlation with expression of FSH/LH, E-cadherin, oestrogen (ER) and somatostatin receptors (SSTR) was explored. TGFBR3L showed membranous immunolabeling and was found to be gonadotroph cell lineage-specific, verified by co-expression with SF1 and FSH/LH staining in both tumour and non-neoplastic anterior pituitary tissues. TGFBR3L immunoreactivity was observed in gonadotroph tumours only and demonstrated intra-tumour heterogeneity with a perivascular location. TGFBR3L immunostaining correlated positively to both FSH (R = 0.290) and LH (R = 0.390) immunostaining, and SSTR3 (R = 0.315). TGFBR3L correlated inversely to membranous E-cadherin staining (R = −0.351) and oestrogen receptor β mRNA (R = −0.274). In conclusion, TGFBR3L is a novel pituitary gland specific protein, located in the membrane of gonadotroph cells in non-neoplastic anterior pituitary gland and in a subset of gonadotroph pituitary tumours.