title: In vitro induction of luteinizing hormone synthesis by estrogen in organ-cultured pituitary glands of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica.
abstract: An organ culture method for pituitary glands isolated from immature Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) was developed. This method could conserve the histological features of the pituitary glands for at least 21 days. The ability to synthesize gonadotropic hormone (GTH) in cultured eel pituitary glands was examined by detecting luteinizing hormone (LH) beta protein immunohistochemically. In a basal medium (Leibovitz L-15), LH beta-immunoreactive cells were very scarce, but after addition of estradiol-17beta (E2) a large number of immunoreactive cells appeared, particularly in the proximal pars distalis. The stimulatory effects of E2 on LH beta synthesis were dose (1-100 ng/ml)- and time (1.5-7 days)-dependent. Thus, in contrast with previous reports of the lack of a direct effect of E2 on GTH synthesis in primary cultured eel pituitary cells, the present results clearly indicate that E2 can stimulate GTH synthesis in immature eel pituitary glands. This organ culture method is useful to examine the actions of steroids and also other endocrine factors on the eel pituitary gland.
authors.affiliation: Division of Marine Biosciences, Graduate School of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan. k-saito@med.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chida
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamauchi
mesh_terms: D000811:Anguilla / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology; D037101:Luteinizing Hormone, beta Subunit / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D037101:Luteinizing Hormone, beta Subunit; D004958:Estradiol