title: Endothelin-3 immunoreactivity in gonadotrophs of the human anterior pituitary.
abstract: Endothelin (ET), originally discovered in vascular endothelial cells, has also been demonstrated in nonvascular tissues. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the presence of ET in the human pituitary. The avidin-biotin complex method with antiserum to ET-1 (and ET-2) or ET-3 was used to identify ET in human pituitaries obtained by autopsy. ET-3 immunoreactivity was found in the cytoplasm of large ovoid cells of the anterior pituitary. Using the double staining method, the cells containing ET-3 immunoreactivity were differentiated from cells containing ACTH, TSH beta, GH, PRL, and protein S-100. By staining with anti-LH beta antiserum in adjacent sections and using the double staining method, the cells were identified as gonadotrophs. No staining was observed in the posterior pituitary. In addition, no ET-1 (and ET-2) immunoreactivity was detected. The specific localization of ET-3 immunoreactivity in the gonadotrophs of the human pituitary suggests a possible role of ET-3 in the regulation of anterior pituitary function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naruse
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Naruse
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Yoshihara
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohsumi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Demura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D016232:Endothelins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000737:chemistry*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins