Nuclear accumulation of multiple protein kinases during prolactin-induced proliferation of Nb2 rat lymphoma cells

Prolactin (PRL) and its receptor: actions, signal transduction pathways and phenotypes observed in PRL receptor knockout mice

PRL is an anterior pituitary hormone that, along with GH and PLs, forms a family of hormones that probably resulted from the duplication of an ancestral gene. The PRLR is also a member of a larger family, known as the cytokine class-1 receptor superfamily, which currently has more than 20 different members. PRLRs or binding sites are widely distributed throughout the body. In fact, it is difficult to find a tissue that does not express any PRLR mRNA or protein. In agreement with this wide distribution of receptors is the fact that now more than 300 separate actions of PRL have been reported in various vertebrates, including effects on water and salt balance, growth and development, endocrinology and metabolism, brain and behavior, reproduction, and immune regulation and protection. Clearly, a large proportion of these actions are directly or indirectly associated with the process of reproduction, including many behavioral effects. PRL is also becoming well known as an important regulator of immune function. A number of disease states, including the growth of different forms of cancer as well as various autoimmune diseases, appear to be related to an overproduction of PRL, which may act in an endocrine, autocrine, or paracrine manner, or via an increased sensitivity to the hormone. The first step in the mechanism of action of PRL is the binding to a cell surface receptor. The ligand binds in a two-step process in which site 1 on PRL binds to one receptor molecule, after which a second receptor molecule binds to site 2 on the hormone, forming a homodimer consisting of one molecule of PRL and two molecules of receptor. The PRLR contains no intrinsic tyrosine kinase cytoplasmic domain but associates with a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase, JAK2. Dimerization of the receptor induces tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of the JAK kinase followed by phosphorylation of the receptor. Other receptor-associated kinases of the Src family have also been shown to be activated by PRL. One major pathway of signaling involves phosphorylation of cytoplasmic State proteins, which themselves dimerize and translocate to nucleus and bind to specific promoter elements on PRL-responsive genes. In addition, the Ras/Raf/MAP kinase pathway is also activated by PRL and may be involved in the proliferative effects of the hormone. Finally, a number of other potential mediators have been identified, including IRS-1, PI-3 kinase, SHP-2, PLC gamma, PKC, and intracellular Ca2+. The technique of gene targeting in mice has been used to develop the first experimental model in which the effect of the complete absence of any lactogen or PRL-mediated effects can be studied. Heterozygous (+/-) females show almost complete failure to lactate after the first, but not subsequent, pregnancies. Homozygous (-/-) females are infertile due to multiple reproductive abnormalities, including ovulation of premeiotic oocytes, reduced fertilization of oocytes, reduced preimplantation oocyte development, lack of embryo implantation, and the absence of pseudopregnancy. Twenty per cent of the homozygous males showed delayed fertility. Other phenotypes, including effects on the immune system and bone, are currently being examined. It is clear that there are multiple actions associated with PRL. It will be important to correlate known effects with local production of PRL to differentiate classic endocrine from autocrine/paracrine effects. The fact that extrapituitary PRL can, under some circumstances, compensate for pituitary PRL raises the interesting possibility that there may be effects of PRL other than those originally observed in hypophysectomized rats. The PRLR knockout mouse model should be an interesting system by which to look for effects activated only by PRL or other lactogenic hormones. On the other hand, many of the effects reported in this review may be shared with other hormones, cytokines, or growth factors and thus will be more difficult to study. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Thymosin fraction 5 inhibits the proliferation of the rat neuroendocrine MMQ pituitary adenoma and C6 glioma cell lines in vitro

Cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-6 stimulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In addition, these proteins affect pituitary cell proliferation in vitro. Thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) is a partially purified preparation of the bovine thymus that enhances immune system functioning. Because TF5 similarly stimulates the HPA axis, we examined the effects of this preparation on neuroendocrine tumor cell proliferation. Cells of the PRL-secreting rat anterior pituitary adenoma, MMQ (5-50 x 10(3) cells/well), were exposed to vehicle (RPMI-1640 containing 2.5% FCS, 7.5% horse serum, and antibiotics) or TF5 (100-500 microg/ml) for up to 96 h and the proliferation of MMQ cells monitored using the MTT assay (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide). TF5-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation was dependent on both TF5 concentration and the initial MMQ cell number. Minimal reductions in optical densities resulted from exposure to 100 microg/ml TF5, whereas the highest concentration of this preparation (i.e. 500 microg/ml) completely blocked MMQ cell division. The concentration-dependent effects of TF5 were particularly striking at initial plating densities of 25 and 50 x 10(3) MMQ cells/well; in contrast, all concentrations of TF5 completely inhibited MMQ cell growth at 5 and 10 x 10(3) cells/well. The antiproliferative actions of TF5 on MMQ cells were demonstrable within 24 h and remained for up to 96 h as determined by the MTT assay and actual cell counts. Because the highest densities of MMQ cells were partially refractive to the antiproliferative effects of TF5, we examined the effects of PRL (1-1000 nM) and MMQ cell conditioned medium (50%) on TF5 inhibition of MMQ adenoma proliferation. The TF5 concentration-dependent inhibition of MMQ cell growth was largely reversed by the 50% conditioned medium, whereas PRL slightly potentiated the antiproliferative actions of TF5. The proliferation of the rat C6 glioma cell line (10-30 x 10(3) cells/well) demonstrated greater sensitivity to TF5: concentrations as low as 10 microg/ml TF5 inhibited C6 cell proliferation (P < 0.01), and near-maximal inhibition was noted at 200 microg/ml TF5. Significant reductions in MMQ and C6 cell viabilities accompanied decreases in cell number and morphological analysis indicated these cells were dying by apoptosis. The peptides thymosin alpha1 (T alpha1), thymosin beta4 (T beta4), MB35, and MB40 had no effect on either MMQ or C6 cell proliferation, indicating that these TF5 components are not the principle active peptides. Therefore, TF5 was further separated into 60 fractions by preparative reverse phase HPLC. HPLC fractions 17, 25, 26, and 27 significantly suppressed MMQ cell proliferation (P < 0.01) to the same extent as TF5; other HPLC fractions had no effect. These data demonstrate a new biological property of TF5: the inhibition of cell proliferation and the induction of apoptosis in neuroendocrine tumor cells. The proliferation effects were time and concentration dependent and could be partially reversed by an activity present in the MMQ cell conditioned medium. Thus, TF5 and cytokines have opposite effects on adenoma cells because IL-2 and IL-6 stimulate GH3 cell proliferation. We propose that circulating thymic peptides may act to prevent pituitary adenoma and glioma tumor formation, an action opposed by autocrine growth factors secreted by these tumors.

Upregulation of nuclear PKC and MAP-kinase during hyperproliferation of guinea pig epidermis: modulation by 13-(S)-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE)

13-(S)-Hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (13-HODE), the lipoxygenase metabolite of linoleic acid, has been shown to reverse the epidermal hyperproliferation induced by topical application of docosahexaenoic acid (DNA, 22:6 n-3) on guinea pig skin. Our initial studies demonstrated that 13-HODE exerts a selective inhibition of the membrane-bound PKC-beta activity in the hyperproliferative skin. To delineate the antiproliferative effects of 13-HODE, we investigated the nuclear events associated with this process. Our data demonstrated that the major PKC isozymes in the epidermal nuclear fraction are alpha and zeta. Epidermal hyperproliferation induced by DHA caused an increase in nuclear total PKC and atypical PKC activities, and this was accompanied by an increase in the two nuclear isozymes, alpha and zeta (P < 0.05). This increase was reversed after topical application of 13-HODE. Similarly, 13-HODE suppressed elevated nuclear MAP-kinase. Taken together, these data suggest that nuclear signalling events in the epidermis involve PKC-MAP-kinase pathway.

Prolactin as a mitogen in mammary cells

Prolactin (PRL) acts as both a mitogen and a differentiating agent in the breast. The decision to respond to PRL as a mitogen by breast cells depends on the hormonal milieu in which the epithelial cell resides. In addition, PRL's action on the breast is regulated (1) at the level of the hormone itself; (2) at the receptor level; (3) at the level of selection of signaling pathway; and, (4) by combinations of these aspects. The development of cell lines containing only one class of the PRL receptors and showing qualitative differences in response and signaling pathways will help in understanding the pleiotropic nature of PRL action.