title: Significance of growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor mRNA in non-neoplastic pituitary and pituitary adenomas: a study by RT-PCR and in situ hybridization.
abstract: This study examined the expression of human growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) mRNA in both non-neoplastic pituitary tissues and pituitary adenomas by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH). RT-PCR analysis showed that all of the non-neoplastic pituitaries and all GH-producing adenomas, one prolactinoma and one third of the non-functioning adenomas expressed GHRH-R mRNA. ISH demonstrated that all of GH-producing adenomas and two prolactinomas expressed GHRH-R mRNA. The expression of GHRH-R mRNA in GH-producing adenomas was greater than that in the other adenomas by RT-PCR and ISH. GHRH-R mRNA detected by ISH was observed only in GH cells from the pituitary gland of a young girl. In pituitary adenomas, a diffuse signal was observed in the cytoplasm of all of the GH-producing adenomas and in two prolactinomas. Expression of GHRH-R mRNA was not seen in normal prolactin cells, or in any adenomas other than GH-producing adenomas and a few prolactinomas. These results suggest that GHRH-R mRNA plays a role mainly in the function of GH-producing adenomas but may also play a role in function of some prolactinomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kameya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naritaka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawano
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015175:Prolactinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000235:genetics*; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone; C048250:somatotropin releasing hormone receptor