PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E Kulig

Publications and source records attributed to E Kulig.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Chromogranin A, chromogranin B and secretogranin II mRNAs in the pituitary and adrenal glands of various mammals. Regulation of chromogranin A, chromogranin B and secretogranin II mRNA levels by estrogen.

BACKGROUND: The chromogranin/secretogranin (Cg/Sg) acidic proteins are widely distributed in vertebrate species. They are thought to play a role in hormone packaging within secretory granules, in hormone secretion, and serve as prohormones for various proteolytic cleavage products. The genes for most members of the Cg/Sg family have been cloned, so hybridization analysis can be used to analyze the distribution and regulation of Cg/Sg mRNAs in various vertebrate species. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The method of in situ hybridization was used to localize chromogranin A, chromogranin B, and secretogranin II in adrenal and pituitary tissues from laboratory animals and from humans in order to analyze the distribution of various Cg/Sg mRNAs in these tissues. To gain some insight into the regulation and possible functions of specific Cg/Sg members, female rats were ovariectomized for different periods with and without estrogen replacement and the pituitaries were subsequently analyzed by in situ hybridization and Northern hybridization analyses. Combined ISH and immunohistochemistry were used to localize the specific cell types in normal rat pituitary that expressed the mRNA for chromogranin A, chromogranin B, and secretogranin II. RESULTS: All three Cg/Sg mRNAs were detected in pituitary and adrenal tissues of rats, mice, dogs, monkeys, and humans. Combined in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry using rat pituitary revealed that the glycoprotein hormone-secreting cells expressed all three Cg/Sg mRNAs in approximately equal amounts. Ovariectomy followed by estrogen replacement resulted in decreased levels of CgA and SgII mRNAs. In contrast, the level of CgB mRNA, that was not changed by ovariectomy, was increased after estrogen treatment, probably secondary to prolactin cell hyperplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The three principal Cg/Sg mRNAs are present in the adrenal and pituitary of various vertebrates. Estrogen plays a significant role in regulating the mRNA levels of different Cgs/Sgs suggesting functional and regulatory differences in Cg/Sg proteins.

Adrenal Glands↗

Morphologic effects of hGRH gene expression on the pituitary, liver, and pancreas of MT-hGRH transgenic mice. An in situ hybridization analysis.

Morphologic changes in the pituitary, liver, and pancreas of mice with the metallothionein-human growth hormone--releasing hormone (MT-hGRH) transgene were analyzed by in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISH). There was progression from somatotroph hyperplasia to neoplasia in pituitaries of transgenic mice. Pituitary neoplasms were present between 9 to 12 months of age in some mice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) readily identified enlarged pituitaries in MT-hGRH transgenic mice. Serum mouse GH and hGRH levels were marked elevated in MT-hGRH transgenic mice. In situ hybridization histochemistry showed mRNA for hGRH in liver, pituitary, pancreas, spleen, and in most other tissues examined. Combined ISH and immunohistochemistry in the pituitary gland showed that some of the GH cells also produced hGRH, and ultrastructural immunohistochemical analysis of pituitaries showed that GH and hGRH were localized in the same cell and within the same secretory granules. Liver cells of MT-hGRH transgenic mice showed evidence of hypertrophy, and the pancreatic islets were hyperplastic with significant increases in the islet cell areas. The morphologic changes in the liver were distinctive enough to separate control littermates from MT-hGRH transgenic mice in all cases. The enlarged pancreatic islets had increased numbers of insulin-producing cells. Immunoreactive hGRH and hGRH mRNA were both localized in islet cells, and an intense hybridization signal of hGRH mRNA, but only weak staining for hGRH protein, were detected in the liver of transgenic mice. These results indicate that excessive hGRH production leads to distinct morphologic changes in various organs in MT-hGRH transgenic mice and that there is temporal progression from hyperplasia to adenomatous somatotrophs in pituitaries with chronic stimulation by hGRH that involves paracrine, endocrine, and autocrine mechanisms.

Adenoma↗

The effects of estrogen on prolactin gene methylation in normal and neoplastic rat pituitary tissues.

The effects of estrogen treatment on rat prolactin (PRL) gene methylation were analyzed in normal pituitaries and in three transplantable rat pituitary tumors. Northern analysis showed increased PRL mRNA expression in estrogen-treated pituitary and in MtT/F4 and MtT/F-DMBA tumors. Prolactin mRNA amounts in MtT/W15 tumor were decreased by estrogen treatment. There was an inverse relationship between changes in PRL mRNA expression and changes in gene methylation in the coding regions of the PRL gene after estrogen treatment. The amounts of the 4.6-Kb and 1.8-Kb restriction fragments generated by HpaII digestion in pituitary tissues were influenced by estrogen, with an increase in these fragments in normal pituitary, MtT/F4, and MtT/F-DMBA tumors after estrogen treatment. In contrast, the amounts of the 4.6-Kb and 1.8-Kb fragments were decreased in MtT/W15 tumors after estrogen treatment. Most of the internal -CCGG- sites in the PRL gene were methylated in the liver, and the PRL gene was not expressed in the liver. These data suggest that there is a tissue-specific pattern of DNA methylation of the PRL gene and that PRL gene methylation is influenced by estrogen in vivo in normal and tumorous pituitary tissues. These results also suggest that estrogen may influence PRL expression by multiple mechanisms, including changes in the level of DNA methylation.

Animals↗

Effects of estrogens on pituitary cell and pituitary tumor growth.

Estrogens have been known to induce PRL cell hyperplasia in the anterior pituitary of some species for many decades. Recent studies have shown variable susceptibility to estrogen-induced hyperplasia in different strains of rats. The distinction between hyperplastic pituitaries and adenomas is usually not made by most investigators in this field, although true neoplasms can usually be propagated by serial transplantation. The growth of transplantable tumors is usually inhibited by estrogen in vivo. Estrogens have a biphasic effect on pituitary cell proliferation in vitro with higher concentrations of estradiol inhibit cell growth, and lower concentrations stimulating PRL secretion. Estrogens can regulate PRL gene methylation in vivo thus affecting PRL mRNA expression. Recent studies have suggested that estrogen regulates signal transduction by stimulating protein kinase C. Estrogens also regulate specific proto-oncogenes such as c-myc and c-fos. These observations may help to explain some of the regulatory effects of estrogens on cell proliferation and tumor development.

Animals↗

Regulation of prolactin gene expression in a DMBA-estrogen-induced transplantable rat pituitary tumor.

A new transplantable rat pituitary tumor was induced in F344 female rats with dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and estrogen (MtT/F-DMBA) and studied for 20 serial transplant generations. The tumor grew without estrogen supplements in female rats by the second transplant generation. Sensitivity to estrogens, as indicated by a prolonged latency period for tumor development, was seen at the 20th, but not the 5th transplant generation. MtT/F-DMBA tumors expressed prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH), and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) mRNAs. A decrease in the percentage of cells expressing PRL mRNA, PRL protein, and in the number of secretory granules per cell occurred with serial transplantation. S-100 protein-positive folliculostellate cells were present in the hyperplastic pituitary but not in the transplantable tumors. Estrogen treatment at the 20th transplant generation prolonged the tumor latency period, increased the number of cells expressing PRL mRNA greater than 5-fold by in situ hybridization analysis (14 +/- 2% versus 77 +/- 5%), increased PRL secretion (132 +/- 40 ng/ml versus 3762 +/- 890 ng/ml), and increased the number of cytoplasmic secretory granules per cell. These results indicate that hyperplastic pituitary and true pituitary neoplasms differ in their ability to grow readily after transplantation. The presence of S-100 protein-positive folliculostellate cells, which are present in hyperplastic but not in neoplastic pituitary tissues, may serve as a morphologic marker to separate hyperplastic and neoplastic rat pituitary tissues. Transplantable tumors remained responsive to estrogen with expression of a more differentiated phenotype, including an increased number of cells expressing PRL mRNA and increased numbers of PRL secretory granules.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗

Derivative spectrophotometry of dimer and monomer of enolase.

1. SDS causes significant polar exposure of aromatic amino acids of enolase. The alpha-helix content remains unchanged. The enzyme lost all its activity. 2. The presence of 1 M K Br in enzyme solution results in a smaller increase of polarity of aromatic amino acids residues environment. The amount of alpha-helix does not decrease in comparison to native enzyme. Enzyme lost nearly 80% of its initial activity. 3. The extreme pH values and the presence of 6 M Gnd.HCl influence the whole structure of enolase. It is accompanied by a large polar shift of aromatic amino acids and significant decrease of alpha-helix content of the protein.

Animals↗