title: Bromocriptine effects on cultured human prolactin-producing pituitary adenomas: in vitro ultrastructural, morphometric, and immunoelectron microscopic studies.
abstract: In an effort to better characterize the ultrastructural, morphometric, and immunocytochemical changes induced by 10(-8) M bromocriptine (BR), tumor cells from three surgically removed PRL-producing pituitary adenomas were cultured on an extracellular matrix in serum-free medium. In each instance, the treated cultures were compared to control cells at the end of 24 h and 16 days. PRL RIAs were performed on culture medium. A decrease in cell and nucleus surface area was found on day 16 in two cultures. This supports the well known shrinkage of BR-treated PRL-producing adenomas. BR induced no change in these parameters in the tumor from a third patient who was partly resistant to the drug. Changes in the secretory process were discernible as of day 1 in all three tumors, with a dramatic reduction of exocytosis and intracellular accumulation of PRL-immunoreactive granules. This induced delayed inhibition of protein synthesis, demonstrated by preembedding immunocytochemistry on day 16. These results, obtained for the first time in human PRL-producing adenomas, are informative as to the subcellular events subsequent to short term BR treatment and illustrate that secretory inhibition and tumor shrinkage are not necessarily linked.
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000032:analysis / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D001971:Bromocriptine