Trk neurotrophin receptor family immunoreactivity in rat and human pituitary tissues.
Several lines of evidence suggest that neurotrophins may be involved in pituitary function. By immunocytochemical methods we analyzed the cellular distribution of their functional receptors in the pituitary gland. In the rat pituitary gland Trks were differentially distributed. Punctate immunoreactivity for TrkA was observed within the neural lobe, whereas numerous nerve endings were immunostained for TrkB and TrkC in the intermediate lobe. Endocrine cells of the intermediate lobe exhibited intense immunoreactivity for the three Trks, whereas scattered endocrine cells of the anterior lobe displayed a robust immunostaining for TrkC. In addition, TrkA and TrkB immunoreactivity was located in normal and neoplastic endocrine cells from human pituitary adenomas. The differential distribution of Trks in the hypophysis suggests a potential role of different neurotrophins in pituitary functions.
Aguado
F
F
Departament de Biologia Cel.lular i Anatomia Patològica, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
Majó
G
G
Gómez de Aranda
I
I
Ferrer
I
I
D000236:Adenoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000737:chemistry*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D020812:Receptor, trkC; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D020917:Receptor, trkA; D020812:Receptor, trkC