title: Folliculostellate cell interacts with pericyte via TGFβ2 in rat anterior pituitary.
abstract: The anterior pituitary gland comprises five types of endocrine cells plus non-endocrine cells including folliculostellate cells, endothelial cells, and capillary mural cells (pericytes). In addition to being controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-target organ axis, the functions of these cells are likely regulated by local cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. However, these complex interactions are not fully understood. We investigated folliculostellate cell-mediated cell-to-cell interaction. Using S100β-GFP transgenic rats, which express GFP in folliculostellate cells, we designed a three-dimensional cell culture to examine the effects of folliculostellate cells. Interestingly, removal of folliculostellate cells reduced collagen synthesis (Col1a1 and Col3a1). Because pericytes are important collagen-producing cells in the gland, we stained for desmin (a pericyte marker). Removal of folliculostellate cells resulted in fewer desmin-positive pericytes and less desmin mRNA. We then attempted to identify the factor mediating folliculostellate cell-pericyte interaction. RT-PCR and in situ hybridization revealed that the important profibrotic factor transforming growth factor beta-2 (TGFβ2) was specifically expressed in folliculostellate cells and that TGFβ receptor II was expressed in pericytes, endothelial cells, and parenchymal cells. Immunocytochemistry showed that TGFβ2 induced SMAD2 nuclear translocation in pericytes. TGFβ2 increased collagen synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. This action was completely blocked by TGFβ receptor I inhibitor (SB431542). Diminished collagen synthesis in folliculostellate cell-deficient cell aggregates was partially recovered by TGFβ2. TGFβ2-mediated folliculostellate cell-pericyte interaction appears to be essential for collagen synthesis in rat anterior pituitary. This finding sheds new light on local cell-ECM interactions in the gland.
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell BiologyDepartment of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan tyashiro@jichi.ac.jp tsukada@jichi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsukada
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell BiologyDepartment of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Morio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Anatomy and Cell BiologyDepartment of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell BiologyDepartment of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell BiologyDepartment of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kouki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Natural HistoryJichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.affiliation: Division of Histology and Cell BiologyDepartment of Anatomy, Jichi Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan tyashiro@jichi.ac.jp tsukada@jichi.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yashiro
mesh_terms: D021581:Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; D000818:Animals; D001549:Benzamides / Q000494:pharmacology; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004149:Dioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D020286:Pericytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051381:Rats; D055647:Rats, Transgenic; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C459179:4-(5-benzo(1,3)dioxol-5-yl-4-pyridin-2-yl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)benzamide; D001549:Benzamides; D004149:Dioxoles; D018125:Receptors, Transforming Growth Factor beta; D051899:Smad2 Protein; C497784:Smad2 protein, rat; C509043:Tgfb2 protein, rat; D053781:Transforming Growth Factor beta2; D003094:Collagen; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D000077293:Receptor, Transforming Growth Factor-beta Type I; C000625843:Tgfbr1 protein, rat
keywords: TGFβ; collagen; folliculostellate cell; pituitary; three-dimensional cell culture