title: Age-related changes in nestin immunoreactivity in the rat pituitary gland.
abstract: The pituitary gland undergoes important changes in cellular plasticity throughout life, consequently leading to hormonal output changes. The intermediate filament nestin plays a crucial role in cells that retain plasticity during development, aging and tumorigenesis. Here, we describe robust nestin immunoreactivity in glial-like cells of the intermediate lobe and in the vasculature of the developing, adult and aging pituitary gland. Additionally, we report a high incidence of spontaneous hyperplastic nodules in the anterior lobe of 24-month-old rats. In the nodules, nestin immunoreactivity is increased in blood vessels and in a few endocrine cells. We also found increased accumulation of nestin in hyperplastic glial-like cells of the intermediate lobe. This study suggests that nestin in the pituitary gland is implicated in age-related cellular plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Psychoneuroimmunologie, Nutrition et Génétique, INRA UMR 1286, CNRS UMR 5226, Université Bordeaux-2, Bordeaux, France. laurent.gautron@UTSouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gautron
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De-Smedt
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Layé
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D055098:Endocrine Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007211:Indoles; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000098:blood supply / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007211:Indoles; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; C007293:DAPI; D013972:Thyrotropin