Summary
A clonal strain of anterior pituitary cells was derived from Rathke's pouch of the rat. These cells were shown to secrete ACTH, growth hormone and prolactin but no glycoprotein hormones, when grown in vitro. Cells from the 2A8 clone were implanted for one month under kidney capsules or into hypothalami of hypophysectomized female rats. Under the kidney capsule, prominent prolactin cells and poorly developed cells of other types were differentiated as seen in usual pituitary grafts. In hypophysiotrophic areas of the hypothalamus, the grafts were cytodifferentiated into various types of anterior pituitary cells with rich vascularization. These cells had the ultrastructural features indicative of hormone secretion. Increases in body and ovarian weights reflected the secretion of somatotrophic and gonadotrophic hormones. The results obtained indicate that implants of 2A8 clonal cells may differentiate into all types of anterior pituitary cells under the influence of hypothalamic hormones or perhaps some unknown factors present in the general systemic circulation of the rat.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Averill, R.: Failure of luteotrophic function due to pituitary grafts in the rat hypothalamus. Neuroendocrinology 5, 121–131 (1969)
Birge, C.A., Peake, G.T., Mariz, J.K., Daughaday, W.H.: Radioimmunoassayable growth hormone in the rat pituitary gland: effects of age, sex and hormonal state. Endocrinology 81, 195–204 (1967)
Daikoku, S., Kinutani, M., Watanabe, Y.: Role of the hypothalamus on development of adenohypophysis: an electron microscopic study. Neuroendocrinology 11, 284–305 (1973)
Flament-Durand, J., Desclin, L.: A topographical study of the hypothalamic region with a “thyrotrophic” action. J. Endocr. 41, 531–539 (1968)
Gash, D.M., Roos, T.B., Chambers, W.F.: Development of Rathke's pouch tissue transplanted into adult hypophysectomized female rats. Neuroendocrinology 19, 214–226 (1975)
Ishikawa, H., Shiino, M., Arimura, A., Rennels, E.G.: Functional clones of pituitary cells derived from Rathke's pouch epithelium of fetal rats. Endocrinology 100, 1227–1230 (1977)
Knigge, K.: Gonadotrophic activity of neonatal pituitary glands implanted in the rat brain. Amer. J. Physiol. 202, 387–391 (1962)
Kurosumi, K.: Functional classification of cell types of the anterior pituitary gland accomplished by electron microscopy. Arch. Histol. Japon 29, 329–362 (1968)
Nallar, R., McCann, S.M.: Luteinizing hormone releasing activity in plasma of hypophysectomized rats. Endocrinology 76, 272–275 (1965)
Nikitovitch-Winer, M., Everett, J.W.: Histologic changes in grafts of rat pituitary on the kidney and upon retransplantation under the diencephalon. Endocrinology 65, 357–368 (1959)
Phillips, J., Schmidt, B.: A comparison of pituitary and thyroid gland development in the fetal rat. Anat. Rec. 131, 588 (Abst.) (1958)
Rennels, E.G.: An electron microscope study of pituitary autograft cells in the rat. Endocrinology 71, 713–722 (1962)
Schechter, J.: The cytodifferentiation of the rabbit pars distalis: An electron microscopic study. Gen. comp. Endocr. 16, 1–20 (1971)
Schneider, H.P.G., McCann, S.M.: Release of LRF into the peripheral circulation of hypophysectomized rats by dopamine and its blockade by estradiol. Endocrinology 87, 249–253 (1970)
Sétáló, G., Nakane, P.K.: Functional differentiation of the fetal anterior pituitary cells in the rat. Endocrinologia Expt. 10, 155–166 (1976)
Sherwood, M.M., Timiras, P.S.: A stereotaxic atlas of the developing rat brain. Berkeley and Los Angelos: University of California Press 1970
Shiino, M., Arimura, A., Schally, A.V., Rennels, E.G.: Ultrastructural observations of granule extrusion from rat anterior pituitary cells after injection of LH-releasing hormone. Z. Zellforsch. 128, 152–161 (1972)
Shiino, M., Rennels, E.G.: Effects of TRH on the pituitary grafts in the rat. In: Electron microscopic concepts of secretion: Ultrastructure of endocrinal and reproductive organs (M. Hess, ed.), pp. 271–286. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1975
Spurr, A.R.: A low-viscosity epoxy resin embedding medium for electron microscopy. J. Ultrastruct. Res. 26, 31–33 (1969)
Szentágothai, J., Flerkó, B., Mess, B., Halász, B.: Hypothalamic control of the anterior pituitary. Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó 1972
Wheaton, J.E., Fawcett, C.P.: Levels of immunoassayable LRH in peripheral plasma of intact, hypophysectomized and ovariectomized rats. Prog. 56th Ann. Mtg. Endocr. Soc. A-83 (Abst.) (1974)
Yoshimura, F., Harumiya, K., Ishikawa, H., Ohtsuka, Y.: Differentiation of isolated chromophobes into acidophils or basophils when transplanted into the hypophysiotrophic area of hypothalamus. Endocrinol. Japon 16, 531–540 (1969)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by USPHS Grant AM 12583
The authors wish to thank Mrs. Martha Castilleja and Mrs. Pauline Polette for their skillful technical assistance
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shiino, M., Ishikawa, H. & Rennels, E.G. In vitro and in vivo studies on cytodifferentiation of pituitary clonal cells derived from the epithelium of Rathke's pouch. Cell Tissue Res. 181, 473–485 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221769
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221769