Effect of cell density on hormonal secretion from human pituitary adenomas in vitro.
Cell density effects were investigated on tumorous hormonal secretion from 10 pituitary adenomas: 3 somatotrophinomas secreting GH and PRL; 7 gonadotrophinomas, 3 co-secreted both FSH and LH, all 7 secreted LH. Enzymatically dispersed tissue was plated out in 24-well plates at 5 x 10(5), 10(5), 5 x 10(4) and 10(4) cells/well in serum-free media. Media were collected weekly for 2 weeks.


RESULTS
In 3 of 3 somatotrophinomas, GH and PRL secretion was higher (p < 0.05) at both week 1 and 2 from 10(4) cells/well, but similar at other cell densities. In all 3 gonadotrophinomas, the FSH secretory rate was highest at 5 x 10(5) cells/well which fell as cell density decreased. Conversely, in 7 of 7 gonadotrophinomas the LH secretory rate was highest at 10(4) cells/well (p < 0.01) which fell as cell density increased.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that paracrine factors may modulate tumorous GH, PRL, FSH and LH secretion, and show that FSH and LH secretion vary inversely as cell density increases.
Atkin
S L
SL
Department of Medicine, University of Hull, UK. s.l.atkin@med.hull.ac.uk
Hipkin
L J
LJ
Landolt
A M
AM
Jeffreys
R V
RV
Foy
P M
PM
White
M C
MC
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D010908:Pituitary Hormones, Anterior