title: Bovine anterior pituitary progenitor cell line expresses interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-18 receptor.
abstract: In the anterior pituitary gland, inflammatory mediators regulate cell function through an immuno-endocrine pathway. Recent studies have shown that undifferentiated stem cells act as immunomodulators. These studies prompted us to establish a progenitor cell line from the bovine anterior pituitary gland and to detail its function. First, we localised interleukin (IL)-18 by immunohistochemistry to the marginal cell layer of Rathke's pouch that is assumed to embody a stem/progenitor cell compartment of the postnatal pituitary gland. A cloned anterior pituitary-derived cell line from the bovine anterior pituitary gland was established from single cell clone by the limiting dilution method and was designated as bovine anterior pituitary-derived cell line (BAPC)-1. BAPC-1 cells constantly expressed mRNAs for IL-18 and IL-18 receptor, and grew steadily and rapidly in the medium containing epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor. The cell line also expressed the mRNAs for the stem/progenitor cell- related factors such as Nanog, Oct-4, Ptch1, Nestin, Notch1, Hes1, Lrp and Fzd4, and the mRNAs for embryonic pituitary-related factors, such as Lhx3, PitX1 and Pit-1. The nuclei of BAPC-1 were immunostained positively for Pit-1, Hes1 and beta-catenin antibodies. Furthermore, BAPC-1 cells expressed mRNAs for cytokine such as IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-7, IL-12 and IL-15. Stimulation of BAPC-1 cells with IL-18 increased expression of mRNAs for IL-1alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta and IL-8. At day 6 in culture, BAPC-1 cells also express growth hormone mRNA. These results strongly suggest that BAPC-1 is a stem/progenitor cell line and modulates the immuno-endocrine function of the anterior pituitary cells through its cytokine production.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Functional Morphology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Taketa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohwada
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muneta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi