Localization of sialic acid-containing hormones in GTH cells and ACTH cells of the rat anterior pituitary

Adenohypophysial cell types in the lamprey pituitary: current state of the art

Adenohypophysial cell types in the pituitary of adult sea lampreys, Petromyzon marinus, was localized by means of immunocytochemical and lectin cytochemical techniques. At least four types of adenohypophysial hormone cells are present in the pituitary of adult sea lampreys. The first type of cell is ACTH-like and occupies most parts of the rostral pars distalis (RPD), but a few scattered ACTH-like cells are also present in the proximal pars distalis (PPD). The second type of cell is MSH-like and occupies the whole pars intermedia. The third type of cell is GH/PRL-like and occupies the dorsal half of the PPD. These GH/PRL-like cells were initially detected by heterologous immunocytochemistry using antibodies to salmon GH, salmon PRL and blue shark GH, after hydrated autoclave pretreatment of sections. Later, by use of an antiserum raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to the partial sequence of lamprey GH/PRL, the same cells as those containing GH/PRL-like immunoreactivity were stained positively. Similarity of the topographic distributions between lamprey GH/PRL-like cells and gnathostome fish GH cells in the pituitary suggests that GH/PRL-like cells in the lamprey may be GH cells. The last type of cell is GTH-like and occupies the ventral half of the PPD. Although GTH has not yet been isolated from the lamprey pituitary, our immunocytochemical data suggest that GTH-like material in the sea lamprey pituitary is more closely related to mammalian-like LH, rather than to FSH or TSH. These four types of adenohypophysial cells occupy most parts of the lamprey adenohypophysis and indeed there is little room for TSH or PRL cells. Thus, the present study further suggests that GH and LH-like GTH are ancestral forms of GH/PRL/SL family and glycoprotein hormones, respectively.

Possible gonadotropin cells in the lamprey pituitary: colocalization of mammalian LH-like immunoreactivity and glycoconjugate in adult sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus)

In lampreys, although gonadotropin (GTH) has not yet been isolated from the pituitary gland, the presence of GTH has been strongly suggested. To detect possible GTH in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) pituitary, two different cytochemical probes were tested: One was the use of antibodies to GTHs, and the other was the use of lectin-screening kits for demonstration of glycoconjugate in hormonal molecules. GTH-like immunoreactivity was found in cells distributed in the ventral half of the proximal pars distalis. These cells were stained intensely by all four lots of anti-ovine LH including LHbeta, and were stained moderately or weakly by several other antibodies to LH-related GTHs, such as human LHbeta, hCGbeta, amphibian LH, and sturgeon GTH IIbeta. On the other hand, there were no positive reactions in the sea lamprey pituitary using the antibodies to FSH-related GTHs, thyrotropin (TSH), or pituitary glycoprotein hormones of teleost origin. Thus, GTH-like material in the sea lamprey pituitary seems to be more closely related to mammalian-like LH, rather than to FSH or TSH, as far as immunocytochemical determinants. A total of 21 kinds of lectins was tested. Among those, GTH-positive cells were also stained positively by concanavalin A and Vicia villosa agglutinin. Thus, the present study demonstrates colocalization of LH-like immunoreactivity and glycoconjugate in cells in the ventral half of the proximal pars distalis of the sea lamprey pituitary. It is suggested that those cells are most likely to be GTH cells in the sea lamprey pituitary.

Presence of glycoconjugates in prolactin granules of male rats

Prolactin granules in the anterior pituitary glands of male rats contain densely stained materials at the periphery of the matrix. These occur in both small spherical and large polymorphic types of granules. The presence of densely stained materials around secretory granules may be a useful criterion for identification of prolactin cells since the dense structure was observed in 95% of these cells after conventional staining by uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The localization of glycoconjugates in the prolactin granules was examined by applying concanavalin A (Con A) on the ultrathin sections. HRP-Con A or ferritin-conjugated Con A bound specifically to the densely stained materials in the peripheral region of the prolactin granule matrix, indicating that this densely stained matrix contains glycoconjugates; the significance thereof is discussed with reference to the concentration and packaging of secretory product.

Lectin cytochemistry of cell types in human and canine pituitary

Labeled lectins specific for different sugars were employed to identify different cell types in pituitaries from six human autopsies and seven dogs. To determine the lectins bound by each cell type, fixed-paraffin embedded sections serial to those stained with lectins were immunostained for specific hormones and the serial pairs were examined in a comparison microscope. In human pituitaries corticotrophs stained selectively with lectins having affinity for alpha-L-fucose and the core region of complex type N-glycosyl-proteins. Some corticotrophs also stained for the presence of terminal beta-galactose. Thyrotrophs stained selectively with a periodate oxidation-borohydride reduction-concanavalin A sequence. Some mammotrophs evidenced content of glycoconjugate with terminal beta-galactose. Dendritic cells stained selectively for abundant glycogen with the periodate-reduction-concanavalin A sequence and a lectin from Griffonia simplicifolia. Adenohypophyseal cells of dog pituitary differed in showing absence of terminal beta-galactose in corticotrophs, presence of terminal beta-galactose in thyrotrophs, presence of glycoconjugate with N-glycosidically bound oligosaccharide in thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs and presence of terminal beta-galactose with a different lectin affinity in mammotrophs. The main contributions of lectin histochemistry applied to the pituitary include providing an additional histologic method for identification of some cell types, and localizing glycosylated prohormone or other biochemically unrecognized non-hormone glycoconjugates whose function in pituitary cells remains to be explained.

Glycoconjugate localization with lectin and PA-TCH-SP cytochemistry in rat hypophysis

Glycoconjugates were localized by light microscopy with lectin-peroxidase conjugates and by electron microscopy with the periodic acid-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate (PA-TCH-SP) sequence in immunocytochemically or morphologically identified cell types in rat pituitary. Lectin histochemistry demonstrated sialic acid and glycoconjugates with N-glycosidically linked oligosaccharides in gonadotrophs, thyrotrophs, and corticotrophs. Galactose penultimate to sialic acid was observed mostly in gonadotrophs. The terminal galactose-N-acetylgalactosamine disaccharide was detected in a few gonadotrophs and in a moderate number of mammotrophs. Fucose was localized in only corticotrophs with two fucose-binding lectins and in thyrotrophs with another. Several different monosaccharides were seen in glycoconjugates in melanotrophs and in Herring bodies. Melanotrophs displayed heterogeneous staining with fucose-binding lectins. A small number of nonsecretory cells were also visualized in the pars distalis by virtue of their glycogen content. PA-TCH-SP staining revealed complex carbohydrates in secretory granules and some Golgi cisternae in all types of hormone-producing cells in the pars distalis except for the somatotrophs. Melanotrophs of pars intermedia exhibited stained secretory granules and irregular dense bodies containing a stained meshwork. Corticotrophs of the pars distalis lacked the latter bodies, although they form the same glycoprotein precursor hormone as melanotrophs. Lectin conjugates and the PA-TCH-SP sequence stained some groups of secretion granules in Herring bodies, possibly representing vasopressin-containing granules as well as other cell types in the pars nervosa.

Difference of lectin binding sites of secretory granules between normal pituitary and adenoma cells

Electron-immunocytochemical staining with lectin (concanavalin A: Con A) binding sites analysis was applied to study secretory granules of human pituitary adenomas and surrounding normal pituitary tissue using post-embedded serial ultrathin sections. Twelve cases of human pituitary adenoma and three specimens of normal pituitary tissue surrounding adenomas were studied: the cases were operated on between 1982 and 1984. The tumors consisted of four prolactin (PRL)-, six growth hormone (GH)-, and two adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing adenomas. In parallel with the detection of Con A binding sites of secretory granules, their secreting hormones were characterized electron-microscopically with the immunocytochemical horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling using the avidin-biotin technique. The two cases of ACTH-producing adenomas showed either weak or negative reactions with Con A on secretory granules, while normal ACTH-producing pituitary cells showed strong reactions with Con A on every secretory granule observed. Large secretory granules of PRL- or GH-producing cells showed negative reactions with Con A both in the pituitary adenoma and normal pituitary, while some small granulated or sparsely granulated adenoma cells also showed strong reactions with Con A. The complexity of human pituitary adenomas is illustrated as well as the difference in biochemical structure of normal pituitary cells and pituitary adenoma cells secreting the same specific hormone.

Localization of concanavalin A binding sites in human pituitary adenoma cells as revealed by HRP-labelling method

Intracellular lectin (Con A)-binding sites of human pituitary adenoma were examined by electron microscopy using the horseradish-peroxidase (HRP)-labelling technique. In this study were used 16 cases of human pituitary adenomas operated on in our clinics between 1977 and 1981: they concluded 4 each of PRL-, GH-, ACTH-producing and hormonal non-functioning adenomas. In parallel with the detection of lectin-binding sites, basal levels of their secreting hormones were determined by the radioimmunoassay technique, and their producing hormones were characterized light microscopically by the immunocytochemical HRP-labelling technique. In the present study, for hormonal functioning adenoma cells, mature or large granules of each specific type of adenoma cells had no definite Con A-binding sites. On the other hand, immature or small secretory granules of RPL- or GH-producing adenoma cells showed a positive reaction with Con A. ACTH-producing adenomas so far examined revealed no definite binding sites. Some variable results were obtained concerning non-functioning adenomas. Lectins have been and will be very useful in the detection of different subtypes of adenomas in each specific group.