Rat pituitary tumor cells in serum-free culture. I. Selection of thyroid hormone-responsive and autonomous cells

Impact of Fetuin-A (AHSG) on Tumor Progression and Type 2 Diabetes

Fetuin-A is the protein product of the AHSG gene in humans. It is mainly synthesized by the liver in adult humans and is secreted into the blood where its concentration can vary from a low of ~0.2 mg/mL to a high of ~0.8 mg/mL. Presently, it is considered to be a multifunctional protein that plays important roles in diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer, as well as in inhibition of ectopic calcification. In this review we have focused on work that has been done regarding its potential role(s) in tumor progression and sequelae of diabetes. Recently a number of laboratories have demonstrated that a subset of tumor cells such as pancreatic, prostate and glioblastoma multiform synthesize ectopic fetuin-A, which drives their progression. Fetuin-A that is synthesized, modified, and secreted by tumor cells may be more relevant in understanding the pathophysiological role of this enigmatic protein in tumors, as opposed to the relatively high serum concentrations of the liver derived protein. Lastly, auto-antibodies to fetuin-A frequently appear in the sera of tumor patients that could be useful as biomarkers for early diagnosis. In diabetes, solid experimental evidence shows that fetuin-A binds the β-subunit of the insulin receptor to attenuate insulin signaling, thereby contributing to insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Fetuin-A also may, together with free fatty acids, induce apoptotic signals in the beta islets cells of the pancreas, reducing the secretion of insulin and further exacerbating T2DM.

Characterization of a rat anterior pituitary cell bioassay

We have described the protocols and characterization of a pituicyte culture, which became established as a reliable and reproducible bioassay for the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The bioassay was used to measure the bioactivity of factors that inhibit and stimulate gonadotrophin secretion. The protocol that was used involved the culling of female Wistar rats (200 to 250 g weight), at random stages of their cycle, and dispersal of their pituicytes in a concentration of 0.4 x 10(6) cells.ml-1.well-1 in serum-free medium (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/Ham's F12 mixture, supplemented with insulin and transferrin) in Falcon 3047 24-well culture plates. After 24 h of pre-culture, the medium was changed and the cells cultured for a further 48 h. The supernatant was removed and assayed for basal secretion of FSH and LH. The cells were then stimulated with 10(-8) M GnRH for 4 h and the supernatant assayed for gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-stimulated FSH and LH secretion. All samples were assayed as pairs of duplicates (i.e. quadruplicate samples) which were randomly added to the plates to minimize plate effects. Random number tables were used to achieve this randomization.

Apotransferrins from several species promote thyroid hormone-dependent rat pituitary tumor cell growth in iron-restricted serum-free defined culture

Previously, we have studied thyroid hormone-dependent growth of GH1 rat pituitary tumor cells in iron-restricted serum-free defined medium (Sirbasku, D.A., et al. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 295-304, 7466-7477). Proliferation was promoted by triiodothyronine (T3) and any of seven forms of horse serum-derived apotransferrin (apoTf). In this report, we have asked if apoTfs from other species also acted as thyromedins and if other metal ion chelators served this role. To address these issues, three thyromedins were isolated from human serum and identified as apoTf. Fe3+ depletion, and assay in low-Fe medium, gave ED50s of 1.4-1.7 nM. Fe3+ saturation abolished their activities in high-Fe medium. To ask if apoTf was the major thyromedin in human serum, hormone-depleted preparations were iron saturated and shown to no longer support T3-dependent GH1 cell growth. Next, commercially prepared human, rat, horse, dog, rabbit, guinea pig and mouse apoTfs were shown to be as active under iron-restricted conditions as those isolated from human serum. Bovine apoTf and colostrum lactoferrin were greater than 100-fold less active; human milk apo-lactoferrin and apo-ovotransferrins were inactive. Transferrins which displayed thyromedin activity blocked the binding of 125I-rat 2Fe.Tf to GH1 cell receptors while those without thyromedin activity were ineffective. Finally, the metal ion chelators EDTA, citrate and deferoxamine did not show thyromedin activity indicating that apoTfs uniquely were able to promote T3-dependent cell growth in defined culture.

Thyroid hormone and apotransferrin regulation of growth hormone secretion by GH1 rat pituitary tumor cells in iron restricted serum-free defined medium

Growth hormone (GH) production by GH1 rat pituitary tumor cells in iron restricted serum-free defined medium requires apotransferrin (apoTf) and triiodothyronine (T3). As measured by radioimmunoassay, apoTf plus T3 induced GH levels 2 to 4-fold above controls. Deletion of either apoTf or T3 arrested GH secretion. ApoTf/T3 defined medium regulated GH production as effectively as whole serum. Because glucocorticoids enhance GH secretion in serum containing cultures, the effects of dexamethasone were evaluated in apoTf/T3 defined medium. The steroid hormone showed no enhancing effects unless the cells were exposed to serum prior to incubation in apoTf/T3 defined medium. Even under these conditions, the response to dexamethasone remained T3 dependent. These observations indicate that a yet to be characterized serum factor(s), other than apoTf, regulates the response to the steroid hormone. This is the first report of thyroid hormone regulation of GH secretion by rat pituitary tumor cells under completely serum-free chemically defined conditions.

Thyroid hormone dependent pituitary tumor cell growth in serum-free chemically defined culture. A new regulatory role for apotransferrin

Thyroid hormone dependent GH1 rat pituitary tumor cell growth in serum-free chemically defined medium required a serum-derived mediator (i.e., thyromedin) which was identified as transferrin [Sirbasku, D.A., Stewart, B.H., Pakala, R., Eby, J.E., Sato, H., & Roscoe, J.M. (1990) Biochemistry 30, 295-304]. The transferrin isolated was consistent with the equine R or D variants and was biologically active only as apotransferrin (apoTf). To determine if other variants of horse transferrin also were thyromedins, a purification was developed which yielded seven separate forms. Initially, only four of these had activity when assayed in standard "iron salts containing" medium (ED50 values of 290-1160 nM). To further assess activity, the iron contents of all seven were altered either by saturation with ferric ammonium citrate or by citrate/acid depletion of the metal ion. Thereafter, potencies were compared in "iron salts containing" and "iron salts reduced" media. All seven variants proved to be active as apoTf. Bioassays in which apoTf was maximized showed ED50 values of 2.1-3.8 nM. Conversely, assays in which thyromedins were converted to Tf.2Fe showed no activity. Previously, the only known physiological function of apoTf was that of a carrier/detoxifier of iron; this study indicates a new role in hormone-dependent pituitary cell growth.

Thyroid hormone regulation of rat pituitary tumor cell growth: a new role for apotransferrin as an autocrine thyromedin

In the 40 years of transferrin research, no previous role for apotransferrin has been recognized other than to serve as a plasma carrier for dietary and storage iron. Our studies have revealed a new 'autocrine' growth role for this molecule as well as a possible new cell-cell bridge/CAM function. Certainly, these observations have opened many new areas of investigation both with regard to thyroid hormone action and the function of apotransferrin. In addition, there is now accessible the broader question of tissues other than pituitary which might utilize apotransferrin to regulate responsiveness to thyroid hormones.

Rat pituitary tumor cells in serum-free culture. II. Serum factor and thyroid hormone requirements for estrogen-responsive growth

The effect of 17 beta-estradiol (E2) on growth of GH4C1 rat pituitary tumor cells was investigated under serum-free conditions and with medium containing charcoal-extracted serum. Serum-free TRM-1 medium was a 1:1 (vol/vol) mixture of F12-DME supplemented with 50 micrograms/ml gentamicin, 15 mM 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid, 10 micrograms/ml insulin, 10 micrograms/ml transferrin, 10 ng/ml selenous acid, 10 nM 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3), 50 microM ethanolamine, and 500 micrograms/ml bovine serum albumin. The cells grew continuously in TRM-1 but were E2 responsive only when growth was retarded by reducing the T3 concentration to 10 pM (TRM-MOD). Addition of 1 to 10 nM E2 to TRM-MOD increased growth by 0.3 to 0.9 cell population doublings over controls in 9 d. By using medium supplemented with charcoal-extracted sera, basal growth became 1 to 1.5 cell population doublings in 9 d. Addition of 0.1 pM E2 to medium containing charcoal-extracted serum caused a significant increase in cell number whereas pM-nM concentrations stimulated 200 to 570% increases over controls. The effect of steroid hormone was the same in phenol-red-containing and indicator-free medium. The data presented confirm that the major requirements for demonstration of estrogenic effects in culture were optimum concentrations of thyroid hormones and the presence of yet-to-be-characterized serum factors.