title: Binding sites for interleukin-6 in the anterior pituitary gland.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) binding site in the rat anterior pituitary gland was characterized using radioiodinated human recombinant (hr) IL-6. Results showed that the anterior pituitary gland contained 170 binding sites per cell of a single class with a dissociation constant of 2.7 x 10(-9) M. The binding of 125I-hrIL-6 to the rat anterior pituitary gland was competitively inhibited by unlabeled hrIL-6, but not by hrIL-1 alpha, hrIL-1 beta, hrIL-2 or hr-interferon-gamma, indicating these binding sites are specific for IL-6. We also demonstrated mouse IL-6 receptor gene expression in the rat anterior pituitary gland by Northern blot analysis. Furthermore, the IL-6 receptor was detected on human gonadotrophs by the double immunofluorescence method. Our findings demonstrate the presence and expression of IL-6 binding site in the rat anterior pituitary gland and the presence of IL-6 binding site on human gonadotrophs, suggesting the important role of IL-6 binding site in pituitary hormone release in both species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohmichi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirota
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koike
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurachi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyake
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tanizawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D012333:RNA, Messenger