title: Improved enrichment of functionally intact anterior pituitary cells by sequential centrifugal elutriation and density gradient sedimentation.
abstract: By centrifugal elutriation and subsequent Percoll density gradient centrifugation, we obtained highly enriched cell populations of the anterior pituitary of ovariectomized adult rats. Enrichment of somatotrophs, gonadotrophs and mammotrophs was 90%, 80% and 77%, respectively (determined by immunocytochemistry). 41% of the GH-cells showed a medium cell size and the highest density. 52% of the LH-cells and 44% of the FSH-cells were found within the population of the large and medium-dense cells. 69% of the prolactin-cells belonged to the small-sized cells with low density. Thyrotrophs were found within all of the size ranges. The majority of the corticotrophs (82%) showed a small cell size. The enriched somatotrophs, LH-gonadotrophs, and mammotrophs responded to GRF, LRH and TRH. Before and after enrichment, somatotrophs and mammotrophs showed the same responsiveness to releasing hormones. In contrast, enriched LH-gonadotrophs exhibited a higher responsiveness to LRH than unfractionated LH-gonadotrophs.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002498:Centrifugation; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology*; D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D010906:Pituitary Hormone-Releasing Hormones; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior