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The induction of antibodies to human luteinizing hormone by contaminated clinical pituitary hormone preparations.

Three children with hypopituitarism had elevated LH levels measured by RIA which were incompatible with their stage of sexual maturation. Each of the children had been administered parenteral pituitary hormone preparations: one patient, human (h) GH for 3 2/1 yr; one patient, bovine TSH twice to evaluate thyroid responsiveness; and two patients, posterior pituitary extract by nasal insufflation for 7 5/12 ad 4 9/12 yr to treat diabetes insipidus. Each of these children had developed antibodies of the immunoglobulin G class which bound [125I]hLH in vitro in a displaceable fashion. In two of the patients, the antibody reacting with hLH was found after therapy with pituitary hormones of bovine or porcine origin and before treatment with hGH, while on child had received only hGH therapy. These antibodies interfered in the assay for hLH and were responsible for the spurious elevations of serum immunoreactive hLH. None of these children had undergone spontaneous puberty, including at least one who may not have been gonadotropin deficient. To reduce the risk of generating high potency neutralizing antibodies, only highly purified, monomeric pituitary hormone preparations or pure synthetic hormone preparations should be used for diagnosis and chronic replacement therapy.

Adolescent↗

Ontogeny of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha and its co-localization with pituitary hormones in the pituitary gland of chick embryos.

Estrogen is involved in regulating the development and hormone secretion of the anterior pituitary gland following its binding to estrogen receptors (ERs) expressed on pituitary cells. However, the pituitary is comprised of several cell types, and to date, there is no data about the specific cell types expressing ERs in embyonic chick pituitary. We therefore followed, by immunohistochemistry, the ontogeny of the pituitary ER alpha (ERalpha), and the cell types expressing ERalpha throughout chick embryo development. ERalpha immunoreacitivity was restricted to the nuclei of pituitary cells. ERalpha-immunopositive (ERalpha(+)) cells were first detected at embryonic day 6.5 (E6.5), after which ERalpha(+) cells were consistently detected throughout the anterior pituitary gland, although the density of ERalpha(+) cells in the caudal lobe of the pars distalis was higher than that in the cephalic lobe. The proportion of ERalpha(+) cells in the pituitary was about 6% at E8.5; expression increased to 22% by E18.5 of gestation, with no additional change until hatching. Double-labeling of ERalpha and pituitary hormones showed that the dominant cell types expressing ERalpha were gonadotrophs immunopositive for luteinizing hormone (LH); the proportion of ERalpha(+) cells expressing LH increased throughout gestation and reached approximately 57% at hatching. About 2%-6% of thyroid-stimulating-hormone-immunopositive and 1%-2% prolactin-immunopositive cells expressed ERalpha at later stages of embryonic development, but no growth-hormone-positive or adrenocorticotropic-hormone-positive cells expressed ERalpha during the embryonic period. Thus, gonadotrophs are the main cell population expressing ERalpha in the anterior pituitary gland of chick embryo, and ERalpha is involved in regulating the development of the pituitary gland and the maturation of the hormone-secreting function.

Animals↗

Responses of bone turnover markers and bone mineral density to growth hormone therapy in children with isolated growth hormone deficiency and multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies.

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is an important cause of decreased bone mass in childhood and adolescence. The role of other pituitary hormone deficiencies on bone mass is still a query in children. Thirty-nine children (28 with isolated GHD [IGHD] and 11 with multiple pituitary hormone deficiency [MPHD]) were investigated to show the effects of IGHD vs MPHD on bone status. Bone turnover markers (calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase [ALP] Bone ALP [BALP], osteocalcin [OSC], carboxyterminal propeptide of type-1 collagen [CPP-I], parathyroid hormone [PTH]) were measured before and every four months during growth hormone (GH) therapy; bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine was measured before and every six months during therapy. All bone turnover markers except calcium and PTH increased significantly during 1 year of GH therapy. There were no differences in the levels of bone turnover markers between children with IGHD and MPHD at baseline, and after 4, 8 and 12 months of therapy. Lumbar spine BMD SDS of all patients increased significantly during 1 year of therapy (p = 0.035 after 6 months and p <0.001 after 12 months compared with baseline). BMD SDS of both IGHD and MPHD groups were similar at baseline and after 6 and 12 months of therapy (p = 0.235, p = 0.295 and p = 0.384). Height SDS (HtSDS) at baseline was the most important predictor of baseline BMD SDS in children with GHD (t = 4.166, p <0.001). DeltaHtSDS was also positively related to deltaBMD SDS after 1 year of GH therapy. In conclusion, there was no difference in bone status of the patients with IGHD and MPHD at baseline. GH therapy yielded similar increases in bone mass in both groups. Increase in height contributed to increase in BMD during 1 year of GH therapy.

Age Determination by Skeleton↗

Effects of corticotropin releasing factor and growth hormone releasing factor on pituitary hormone secretion in patients with congenital thyrotropin deficiency. Abnormal response of growth hormone to corticotropin releasing factor.

Blood concentrations of anterior pituitary hormones, ACTH, GH, TSH, PRL, LH, and FSH were determined in corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) test (synthetic ovine CRF 1.0 microgram per kg body weight) and growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) test (synthetic human pancreatic GRF-44 100 micrograms) in 2 female sibling patients with congenital isolated TSH deficiency, in their mother, in 2 patients with congenital primary hypothyroidism and in 8 normal controls. The patients with isolated TSH deficiency showed normally increased plasma ACTH and serum GH after CRF and GRF, respectively, and also showed an abnormal GH response to CRF. The serum GH showed a rapid increase to maximum levels (12.9 ng/ml) within 30 to 60 min followed by decrease. The possibility of secretion of abnormal GH could be excluded by the fact that on serum dilution, GH value gave a linear plot passing through zero. In addition, serum PRL, LH and FSH levels after CRF administration in case 1 and PRL after GRF in case 2 were also slightly increased but these responses were marginal. The mother of the patients, patients with congenital primary hypothyroidism, and normal healthy controls showed normal responses of pituitary hormones throughout the experiment. Data from the present study and a previous report show that abnormal GH response to the hypothalamic hormones (CRF, TRH and LHRH) may be observed in patients with congenital isolated TSH deficiency.

Adult↗

Glucocorticoid receptor colocalization with pituitary hormones in the rat pituitary gland.

The presence of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland has previously been demonstrated, but the exact cell types expressing GR have not yet been characterized. In this study, we demonstrate the colocalization of GR and pituitary hormones in the rat pituitary gland by using an immunocytochemical double-labelling method. The majority of anterior lobe corticotropin-immunoreactive and growth hormone-immunoreactive cells contained GR-like immunoreactivity. Cells of the intermediate lobe showed intensive ACTH-like immunoreactivity but did not express GR. The glycoprotein hormones thyroid-stimulating hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone were colocalized with GR to a lesser degree; approximately one-half of the cells exhibited immunoreactivity to these hormones contained GR. By contrast, only a minority of the prolactin-immunoreactive cells expressed GR. Our results suggest that glucocorticoids may differentially regulate the secretion and/or synthesis of these pituitary hormones by directly affecting the hormone-producing cells of the anterior pituitary.

Animals↗

Calcium ion and pituitary hormones: effect of calcium channel blockers on stimulated secretion of pituitary hormones.

The effects of two calcium channel blockers nifedipine (20 mg sublingual), and verapamil (10 mg i.v.) on growth hormone (GH), thyrotropin (TSH), prolactin (PRL) and gonadotropin (LH and FSH) secretion induced by growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), hypoglycemia, thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH), metoclopramide and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), were studied in a group of normal volunteers (27 men and 8 women). Neither nifedipine nor verapamil had any effect on PRL, TSH or gonadotropin release. Verapamil did not cause variations in GH secretion following GHRH and insulin-induced hypoglycemia, whereas nifedipine significantly reduced the elevation in GH induced by GHRH; however the GHRH-mediated GH rise still remained within the normal range in all subjects. Our results suggest that neither nifedipine nor verapamil have important effects on stimulated pituitary hormone secretion, at least under conditions of acute administration.

Adolescent↗

Effects of acute intravenous injection of two growth hormone-releasing hormones (GHRH 1-40 and 1-29) on serum growth hormone and other pituitary hormones in short children with pulsatile growth hormone secretion.

We administered two different growth hormone-releasing hormones (GHRH) to 20 short, prepubertal children who had spontaneous secretion of growth hormone (GH), assessed from 24-hour GH secretion profiles (72 sampling periods of 20 min). We compared one i.v. injection of 1 microgram/kg of GHRH 1-40 with that of GHRH 1-29 regarding serum concentrations of GH, prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and IGF-I. The children were allocated to two groups without statistical randomization. Both groups were given both peptides, with at least 1 week in between. The first group started with GHRH 1-40, the other with GHRH 1-29. The peptides both induced an increased serum concentration of GH of the same magnitude: mean maximal peak of 89 +/- 12 mU/l after GHRH 1-40 and 94 +/- 10 mU/l after GHRH 1-29 (n.s.). The mean difference in maximum serum GH concentration in each child after injection was 52 +/- 9 mU/l, range 1-153 mU/l. GHRH 1-29 also induced a short-term, small increase in the concentrations of prolactin (p less than 0.05), luteinizing hormone (p less than 0.01) and follicle-stimulating hormone (p less than 0.05). We conclude that the shorter sequence GHRH 1-29, when given in a dose of 1 microgram/kg, gives a rise in serum concentration of GH similar to that after the native form GHRH 1-40.

Adolescent↗

Ultrastructural colocalization of growth hormone binding protein and pituitary hormones in adenohypophyseal cells of the rat.

GH receptor immunoreactivity is widely distributed within the rat pituitary gland, although apart from somatotrophs the cell types with GH receptor immunoreactivity have yet to be identified. It is also unknown whether this immunoreactivity reflects the presence of GH binding proteins (GHBPs) or authentic receptors. The possible colocalization of GHBPs and pituitary hormones in somatotrophs, lactotrophs, gonadotrophs, thyrotrophs, and corticotrophs was therefore examined using immunogold electron microscopy. Pituitary sections were indirectly immunostained with antibodies for GH, PRL, LH, FSH, TSH, or ACTH using gold-labeled immunoglobulin G. The same grids were also immunostained with a polyclonal antibody raised against rat GHBP using protein A conjugated to gold particles of a different size. Some sections were gold-labeled using a monoclonal antibody (MAb 4.3) raised against the unique hydrophobic tail of the GHBP, using gold-labeled immunoglobulin G. The cellular and ultrastructural distribution of immunoreactivity within the pituitary gland was similar after labeling with either GHBP antiserum. In all immunoreactive cells the labeling was most intense in secretory granules. Specific staining was not, however, demonstrated in the nucleus, in contrast with earlier findings using MAb 263. Moreover, while staining with MAb 263 appeared to be ubiquitous, some pituitary cells were not labeled by the polyclonal GHBP antiserum or by MAb 4.3. GHBP immunoreactivity was, however, colocalized with hormones in all pituitary cell-types, although in some cells GHBP immunoreactivity was not present in all secretory granules. These results clearly demonstrate the presence of GHBPs in adenohypophyseal cells, in which they appear to be stored or secreted with GH, PRL, LH, FSH, TSH, and ACTH. The function of GHBPs in the pituitary gland is, however, uncertain.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Quantitative in-situ hybridization histochemistry of anterior pituitary hormone mRNA species in human pituitary adenomas.

We have examined the anterior pituitary hormone messenger (m) RNA species contained in biopsies of 41 pituitary tumours obtained at hypophysectomy using in-situ hybridization histochemistry. The adenoma were grouped clinically into 12 prolactinomas, 8 somatotrope adenomas, 16 non-functioning, 4 Nelson's syndrome, and 1 thyrotrope adenoma. Of these, 10 contained no detectable anterior pituitary hormone mRNA species and 11 appeared to be expressing the gene responsible for the patients' clinical state in isolation. In a number of cases the accumulation of specific mRNA species was not accompanied by an increase in the circulating levels of the corresponding hormone or subunit. Evidence of activation of more than 1 anterior pituitary hormone gene was present in 16 adenomas of which only 7 showed a pattern of activation or amplification of gene expression which would suggest deregulation of either the inositol phospholipid or cAMP second messenger pathway. It was therefore not possible from these data to postulate that isolated deregulation of a single second messenger transduction pathway is a common etiological factor in pituitary tumour formation.

Adenoma↗

Thyroid hormone suppression of pituitary hormone gene expression.

T3 suppression of TSH subunit gene transcription is an important step in maintaining thyroid hormone homeostasis, and recent investigations have increased our understanding of this process. Thyrotrope-specific proteins play a critical role in TSH subunit gene expression, and influence T3-mediated regulatory mechanisms. The structure and placement of the TSH gene TREs define suppressive regulation by T3, and this process is favored by the TR isoforms expressed in the pituitary. Elimination of TR beta function compromises the pituitary response to T3. TR beta 2, the isoform specifically expressed in pituitary and neural tissue, contains a transferable domain that both increases T3-independent gene transcription and enhances T3-suppressed transcription. The functional interaction of TR beta 2 with other regulatory proteins is distinct from that of other TR isoforms, and likely plays a critical role in pituitary physiology and in pituitary resistance to thyroid hormone. The development of novel thyrotrope cell lines will allow investigators to define new proteins and molecular mechanisms that distinguish negative from positive T3 transcriptional regulation.

Animals↗

Developmental changes of Islet-1 and its co-localization with pituitary hormones in the pituitary gland of chick embryo by immunohistochemistry.

Although Islet-1 expression in the pituitary gland of early mouse embryo has been previously described, there are no reports concerning the correlation of Islet-1 expression with lineage restrictions in cell types at the later stages of pituitary development. The role of Islet-1 in chickens is also unknown. The purpose of this study was to follow, by using immunohistochemistry, the ontogeny of pituitary Islet-1 and the various cell types that contain Islet-1 throughout chick embryo development. A few Islet-1-immunopositive (Islet-1(+)) cells were first detected in the pituitary primordium in two out of six embryos at embryonic day 5.5 (E5.5), most of the Islet-1(+) cells being ventrally located. As development progressed, many more Islet-1(+) cells were observed throughout the pars distalis. The relative percentage of Islet-1(+) cells amongst the total Rathke's pouch cells was 4.4% at E6.5. This increased significantly, reaching 11.1% by E10.5, followed by no significant change until hatching. Dual immunohistochemistry showed that adrenocorticotrophs, somatotrophs and lactotrophs did not express Islet-1. The cellular types expressing Islet-1 included luteinizing-hormone-positive (LH(+)) gonadotrophs and thyroid-stimulating-hormone-positive (TSH(+)) thyrotrophs. The cells co-expressing LH and Islet-1 were initially detected at E6.5, the proportion of LH(+) cells possessing Islet-1 being about 4%; this increased to 63% at E14.5, followed by no significant changes until hatching. TSH and Islet-1 co-localized cells were first observed at E10.5, with about 37% TSH(+) cell expressing Islet-1; this increased to about 50% by E16.5, after which there was no evident change until hatching. These results suggest that Islet-1 is involved in determining the cell lineages, proliferation, differentiation and maintenance of hormone-secreting functions of pituitary gonadotrophs and thyrotrophs of chick embryo.

Animals↗

Molecular analysis of LHX3 and PROP-1 in pituitary hormone deficiency patients with posterior pituitary ectopia.

The cause of posterior pituitary ectopia associated with anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies is unknown. We describe children with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) or isolated GH deficiency. In all cases, magnetic resonance imaging examination revealed abnormal pituitary gland development featuring ectopic posterior lobe location and frequently hypoplastic anterior lobes. Embryonic development of the pituitary requires the coordinated expression of specific transcription factors. Mutations of the PIT-1 and PROP-1 transcription factors are responsible for CPHD in some patients with normally positioned posterior pituitaries. In mice, the Lhx3 LIM homeodomain transcription factor is required for both structural development and cellular differentiation of the pituitary gland. Thus, we hypothesized that mutations in one or both of the two human LHX3 isoforms are responsible for posterior pituitary ectopia associated with anterior pituitary hypopituitarism. Comprehensive molecular analysis of the LHX3 isoforms was performed to test this hypothesis. No loss of function mutations in the LHX3 gene were detected. In addition, analysis of PROP-1 did not reveal mutations that might cause this phenotype. These studies suggest that the abnormal processes leading to the development of CPHD or GH deficiency associated with posterior pituitary ectopia are not a result of aberrant LHX3 or PROP- 1 function, but may be caused by defects at other gene loci.

Animals↗