title: Endothelin expression in normal human anterior pituitaries and pituitary adenomas.
abstract: Endothelins (ETs) are important regulators of growth and function in many endocrine tissues. This study was designed to verify the expression of ETs in a series of normal human pituitaries and pituitary adenomas. We examined 13 normal pituitaries and 58 pituitary adenomas for the presence of immunoreactive (ir) ET-1 and ET-3. No ir-ET-1 was detected in any of the 13 normal pituitaries, whereas ir-ET-3 was observed in 4 of 13 (31%) cases. In contrast, 48% (28 of 58) of pituitary adenomas display immunoreactivity for ET-1, whereas 31% (18 of 58) show immunoreactivity for ET-3. With respect to the type of tumors, staining was as follows: nonfunctioning adenomas: ET-1, 14 of 33; ET-3, 9 of 33; somatotropinomas: ET-1, 8 of 16; ET-3, 6 of 16; corticotropinomas: ET-1, 5 of 5; ET-3, 2 of 5; and prolactinomas; ET-1, 1 of 4; ET-3, 1 of 4. Using double immunostaining, we found the colocalization of ET-3 in normal pituitaries and of ET-1 and ET-3 in pituitaries adenomas in each hormone-secreting cell. In Cushing adenomas, ET-1 was coexpressed in corticotropic cells in all 5 cases (100%). In the same tumors, by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, we investigated the presence of ET-1 and ET-3 messenger ribonucleic acids and found that they are expressed, respectively, in 18 of 21 and 7 of 11 tumors examined. Our findings demonstrate that pituitary adenomas frequently display ET-1 as well as ET-3 immunoreactivity, in contrast to normal pituitaries, in which only ET-3 was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pagotto
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hopfner
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ehrenreich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oeckler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sinowatz
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Stalla
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001483:Base Sequence; D016232:Endothelins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000737:chemistry*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
chemical_list: D016232:Endothelins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase