Isolation of rat somatotroph and mammotroph secretory granules by equilibrium density centrifugation in a linear metrizamide gradient

Growth Hormone(s), Testosterone, Insulin-Like Growth Factors, and Cortisol: Roles and Integration for Cellular Development and Growth With Exercise

Hormones are largely responsible for the integrated communication of several physiological systems responsible for modulating cellular growth and development. Although the specific hormonal influence must be considered within the context of the entire endocrine system and its relationship with other physiological systems, three key hormones are considered the "anabolic giants" in cellular growth and repair: testosterone, the growth hormone superfamily, and the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) superfamily. In addition to these anabolic hormones, glucocorticoids, mainly cortisol must also be considered because of their profound opposing influence on human skeletal muscle anabolism in many instances. This review presents emerging research on: (1) Testosterone signaling pathways, responses, and adaptations to resistance training; (2) Growth hormone: presents new complexity with exercise stress; (3) Current perspectives on IGF-I and physiological adaptations and complexity these hormones as related to training; and (4) Glucocorticoid roles in integrated communication for anabolic/catabolic signaling. Specifically, the review describes (1) Testosterone as the primary anabolic hormone, with an anabolic influence largely dictated primarily by genomic and possible non-genomic signaling, satellite cell activation, interaction with other anabolic signaling pathways, upregulation or downregulation of the androgen receptor, and potential roles in co-activators and transcriptional activity; (2) Differential influences of growth hormones depending on the "type" of the hormone being assayed and the magnitude of the physiological stress; (3) The exquisite regulation of IGF-1 by a family of binding proteins (IGFBPs 1-6), which can either stimulate or inhibit biological action depending on binding; and (4) Circadian patterning and newly discovered variants of glucocorticoid isoforms largely dictating glucocorticoid sensitivity and catabolic, muscle sparing, or pathological influence. The downstream integrated anabolic and catabolic mechanisms of these hormones not only affect the ability of skeletal muscle to generate force; they also have implications for pharmaceutical treatments, aging, and prevalent chronic conditions such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Thus, advances in our understanding of hormones that impact anabolic: catabolic processes have relevance for athletes and the general population, alike.

An ultrastructural and functional characterization of rat somatotrophs highly enriched on a continuous Percoll density gradient

We here describe the use of a continuous Percoll density gradient in preparing a fraction of consistently more than 95% rat somatotrophs. Recovery was about 50% and cell viability 98-99.5%. Two groups of somatotrophs were identified, one (74-82%, type II) heavily and another (18-26%, type I) sparsely granulated. Freshly prepared somatotrophs responded to growth hormone-releasing factor but the responsiveness was greatly enhanced after 3 days' culture. Electron microscopy revealed a well-preserved morphological integrity in both freshly prepared and cultured somatotrophs. culture reduced the average granule profile area and granule volume density of type II cells. This population of pure and well-functioning somatotrophs is suited for studies on the cellular mechanisms involved in growth hormone secretion.

Isolation and characterization of gonadotropin-rich secretory granules from rat: depletion by GnRH and by a high affinity agonist

Gonadotropin secretory granules were purified from rat pituitary tissue by differential centrifugation followed by a continuous metrizamide density gradient separation procedure. Fractions were characterized by radioimmunoassay, electron microscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The LH granule peak distribution across the gradient was biphasic with peaks at densities 1.287 and 1.275 (g/ml). Samples taken from the leading and trailing regions of the LH peak remigrated to similar positions in a second gradient indicating that the pattern was not an artifact caused by reversible aggregation during the isolation procedure. Reproducible separation of the LH granule peak distribution enabled us to assess the effect of secretagogues. GnRH (2 micrograms/rat) and a metabolically stable GnRH agonist (buserelin; 1 microgram/rat) both caused a 6- to 8-fold increase in serum LH and a corresponding reduction (23-25%) in the amount of LH present in the granules. In both cases the reduction was more pronounced on the granules at the higher (1.287 g/ml) density and the bimodal LH distribution was shifted to lower densities (1.280 and 1.265 g/ml). Granules containing growth hormone and prolactin migrated in the denser (1.322-1.318 g/ml) region of the gradient whereas granules containing thyroid stimulating hormone and follicle stimulating hormone were present close to the LH peak. Electron microscopic inspection of ultrathin (60 nm) sections verified that the fractions enriched in immunoassayable gonadotropins contained predominantly granules. In the less dense (1.20 g/ml) regions, mitochondria and membranous debris were present. Fifteen days after ovariectomy, total granule LH content increased 6- to 7-fold and estrogen supplementation at 5 micrograms/rat, but not 1 microgram/rat, reversed this effect to that of sham-operated animals.

Subcellular distribution of rat pituitary homogenates by poly(ethylene glycol)-dextran countercurrent partitioning

Rat pituitary homogenates were subjected to two phase countercurrent partition in a poly(ethylene glycol)-dextran mixture using a simple apparatus with enhanced gravity to facilitate the phase separations. Assay of the fractions for organelle marker enzymes and prolactin after 17 transfers showed similar distributions for endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomes, prolactin granules and plasma membrane at the lowest dextran concentrations. Increasing the dextran concentrations had a differential effect on the various organelles. Excellent resolution of endoplasmic reticulum from the other organelles was obtained and marked organelle heterogeneity was demonstrated. Two-phase countercurrent partition thus offers an alternative approach to the subcellular fractionation of pituitary homogenates and should prove useful in separating endoplasmic reticulum from plasma membrane and other cell components.

Kinetics of protein-mediated transfer of rat pancreatic microsomal phosphatidylinositol to liposomes

Pancreatic microsomes were isolated from fasted and pilocarpine-injected rats and the microsomal phosphatidylinositol radiolabelled with myo-[2-3H]inositol by isotopic exchange. A standard reaction mixture was established in which partially purified rat liver phosphatidylinositol exchange proteins sustain a maximal rate of phosphatidylinositol transfer from rat pancreatic microsomes to liposomes. Determination of the transfer kinetics shows (1) that pancreatic microsomal phosphatidylinositol is partitioned approximately equally between a non-exchangeable and a single exchangeable pool and (2) that cholinergic stimulation does not significantly change the relative sizes of the two pools nor the exchange half-life of the latter pool.

Cation ionophores A23187 and valinomycin enhance protein-mediated transfer of rat liver microsomal phosphatidylinositol to liposomes

A standard reaction mixture has been established in which partially purified rat liver phosphatidylinositol exchange proteins sustain a maximal rate of phosphatidylinositol transfer from rat liver microsomes to liposomes. Determination of the transfer kinetics confirms the findings of Brophy et al. (Biochem J. 174:413-420,1978) that under such conditions a maximum 70-80% of the homogeneously radiolabeled, microsomal phosphatidylinositol is exchanged with biphasic kinetics. The phosphatidylinositol exchange proteins thus indicate the presence of three microsomal phosphatidylinositol pools: One pool is not subject to protein-mediated exchange; the other two pools are both exchangeable but are exchanged with significantly different half-lives. Both the divalent cation ionophore, A23187, and the monovalent cation ionophore, valinomycin, significantly enhance phosphatidylinositol transfer in the standard reaction mixture at concentrations 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than those sufficient for the ionophores to facilitate cation transport across membranes. The stimulatory effect of each ionophore, however, is not a function of the ionophore/microsome mass ratio in the reaction mixture. Although both ionophores increase the relative amount of exchangeable phosphatidylinositol, either ionophore results in all of the exchangeable phosphatidylinositol being transferred with single-state kinetics. The evidence demonstrates that A23187 and valinomycin are the first substances found to markedly enhance the reactivity of a microsomal phospholipid class with phospholipid exchange proteins.

Characterization of rat somatotroph and mammotroph secretory granules. Presence of sulfated molecules

The contents of a purified somatotroph and mammotroph secretory granule fraction isolated from rat anterior pituitaries were solubilized in 4 M urea and analyzed by PAGE. In gels electrophoresed under a variety of conditions and stained with Coomassie Blue only two major bands, identified as GH and PRL, were present. In gels stained with Stains-All (which stains anionic substances), several additional bands were detected. When quarter pituitaries were labeled with a [3H]amino acid mixture, GH and PRL accounted for greater than 95% of the radioactivity incorporated into the granules. After labeling with [35S]sulfate, two classes of radiolabeled sulfated components were detected in the granules: a class of trypsin-sensitive macromolecular components which were coincident with two of the bands seen after Stains-All, and a class of low molecular weight components. In order to examine the distribution of the two classes of sulfated components within somatotroph and mammotroph granules, granules were suspended in 0.4% (w/v) Lubrol PX at pH 4.0, a treatment which has been shown to selectively solubilize somatotroph granule contents leaving mammotroph granule cores intact. This treatment was found to solubilize greater than 95% of the GH and greater than 99% of the radiolabeled, low molecular weight sulfated components; in contrast, there was virtually no solubilization of either PRL or macromolecular sulfated components. The findings indicate (a) that [35S]sulfate is incorporated into both somatotroph and mammotroph granules, and (b) that the low molecular weight sulfated components are associated with somatotroph granules whereas the macromolecular sulfated components are associated with mammotroph granules.