The expression of Wnt4 is regulated by estrogen via an estrogen receptor alpha-dependent pathway in rat pituitary growth hormone-producing cells

Wnt signaling is important in many aspects of cell biology and development. In the mouse female reproductive tract, Wnt4, Wnt5a, and Wnt7a show differential expression during the estrus cycle, suggesting that they participate in female reproductive physiology. Although the pituitary is a major gland regulating reproduction, the molecular mechanism of Wnt signaling here is unclear. We elucidated the subcellular distribution of Wnt4 in the pituitary of estrogen-treated ovariectomized female rats. Expression of Wnt4 mRNA increased dramatically, particularly in proestrus compared with estrus and metestrus. Wnt4 protein was observed in the cytoplasm of almost all growth hormone (GH)-producing cells and in only a few thyroid-stimulating hormone β (TSHβ)-producing cells. In rat GH-producing pituitary tumor (MtT/S) cells, estrogen-induced expression of Wnt4 mRNA was completely inhibited by estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 in vitro. Thus, rat pituitary GH cells synthesize Wnt4 and this is induced by estrogen mediated via an estrogen receptor alpha-dependent pathway.

Pathology, pathogenesis and therapy of growth hormone (GH)-producing pituitary adenomas: technical advances in histochemistry and their contribution

Growth hormone (GH)-producing adenomas (GHomas) are one of the most frequently-occurring pituitary adenomas. Differentiation of hormone-producing cells in the pituitary gland is regulated by transcription factors and co-factors. The transcription factors include Pit-1, Prop-1, NeuroD1, Tpit, GATA-2, SF-1. Aberrant expression of transcription factors such as Pit-1 results in translineage expression of GH in adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing adenomas (ACTHomas). This situation has been substantiated by GFP-Pit-1 transfection expression in the AtT20 cell line. Experimentally, GHomas have been induced in GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) or Prop-1 transgenic animals. Immunohistochemical detection of somatostatin receptor (SSTR2a) has recently emphasized their role in the response of GHomas to somatostatin analogue therapy. In this review, the advances in technology and their contribution to cell biology and medical practice are discussed.

The influence of endocrine disrupting chemicals on the proliferation of ERalpha knockdown-human breast cancer cell line MCF-7; new attempts by RNAi technology

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer use in manufacturing a wide range of chemical products which include epoxy resins and polycarbonate. It has been reported that BPA increases the cell proliferation activity of human breast cancer MCF-7 cells as well as 17-beta estradiol (E2) and diethylstilbestrol (DES). However, BPA induces target genes through ER-dependent and ER-independent manners which are different from the actions induced by E2. Therefore, BPA may be unique in estrogen-dependent cell proliferation compared to other endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In the present study, to test whether ERalpha is essential to the BPA-induced proliferation on MCF-7 cells, we suppressed the ERalpha expression of MCF-7 cells by RNA interference (RNAi). Proliferation effects in the presence of E2, DES and BPA were not observed in ERalpha-knockdown MCF-7 cells in comparison with control MCF-7. In addition, a marker of proliferative potential, MIB-1 labeling index (LI), showed no change in BPA-treated groups compared with vehicle-treated groups on ERalpha-knockdown MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that ERalpha has a role in BPA-induced cell proliferation as well as E2 and DES. Moreover, this study indicated that the direct knockdown of ERalpha using RNAi serves as an additional tool to evaluate, in parallel with MCF-7 cell proliferation assay, for potential EDCs.

Pituitary changes in Prop1 transgenic mice: hormone producing tumors and signet-ring type gonadotropes

Prophet of Pit-1 (Prop1) is an early transcription factor that delays the appearance of gonadotropin in the developing pituitaries. Prop1 transgenic (Tg) mice have been shown to generate pituitary tumors that either produce TSH or are non-hormone producing. In our series of Prop1 Tg mice, only 5 out of 9 female mice produced pituitary adenomas, and the adenomas were only GH, PRL, GH and PRL, PRL and gonadotropin or TSH producing. The pituitary cells that surrounded these adenomas showed hyperplasia of the corresponding hormone producing cells; i.e. the GH cells were increased in the pituitary that contained GH producing adenoma. In addition, although the adenomas lacked the expression of Prop1, the non-neoplastic pituitary cells showed expression of Prop1.

The Prop1 Tg mice also showed vacuolated cells with eccentric nuclei, which are characteristic of “signet-ring hypertrophic cells”. Using immunohistochemistry, these signet ring hypertrophic cells were found to be positive for gonadotropin.

Taken together, our results suggest a (1) tumorigenic effect of Prop1 in the pituitaries, and (2) causative effects of signet ring-type gonadotropes.