Decreases in the size and proliferation rate of VIP-immunoreactive cells induced in vitro by testosterone are associated with decreases in VIP release.
As in vitro study was carried out to determine whether testosterone directly inhibits the secretion of pituitary vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). A study was also conducted to elucidate the repercussions of treatment with 10(-6) M testosterone of monolayer cultures in the size and proliferation rate of pituitary VIP-immunoreactive cells, using double immunocytochemical labelling for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and VIP. Testosterone decreased the in vitro release of VIP from pituitary cells. It also decreased the percentage of pituitary VIP-immunoreactive and PCNA- and VIP-immunoreactive cells and decreased the size of the cellular and nuclear areas of these cells. Our results suggest that the inhibition of pituitary VIP secretion induced by testosterone could be exerted at pituitary level and that testosterone could act as a modulator of the proliferation rate of rat pituitary VIP-immunoreactive cells.
Carretero
J
J
Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Salamanca, Spain. jcar@gugu.usal.es
Rubio
M
M
Vázquez-Perfecto
R J
RJ
Sánchez
F
F
Torres
J L
JL
Pérez
R M
RM
Vázquez
R
R
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*
D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D013739:Testosterone