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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
12
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-1-11
pubmed:abstractText
The presence of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in two populations of pituitary cells, gonadotrophs (LH) and folliculostellate (FS) cells, suggests that pituitary nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the control of hormone secretion. We have used single and double immunostaining and quantitative procedures to investigate possible gender-related differences in the nNOS expression pattern in the anterior pituitary lobe and its possible alterations in different endocrine situations. Our results reveal a sexual dimorphism in the pattern of nNOS expression. In males, nNOS is mainly found in FS cells, whereas only a few LH cells express nNOS. Conversely, in females, nNOS is mainly found in LH cells. After gonadectomy, paralleling an increase in LH cell size and serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, there is nNOS upregulation in LH cells and nNOS downregulation in FS cells. After testoterone replacement, LH cells become nNOS-immunonegative again. In lactating rats, LH cells overexpress nNOS, but LH cell size and serum LH levels are low. This suggests that, depending on its cellular source, pituitary NO can exert either an inhibitory or a stimulatory effect on hormone secretion. When released from FS cells, NO exerts a paracrine inhibitory effect, and when released from gonadotrophs it exerts an autocrine or paracrine stimulatory effect on LH or prolactin secretion, respectively.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Dec
pubmed:issn
0022-1554
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
48
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1639-48
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Animals, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Castration, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Diestrus, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Female, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Fluorescent Antibody Technique, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Immunohistochemistry, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Isoenzymes, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Lactation, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Luteinizing Hormone, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Male, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Neurons, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Nitric Oxide Synthase, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Orchiectomy, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Ovariectomy, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Pituitary Gland, Anterior, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Rats, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Rats, Sprague-Dawley, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Sex Factors, pubmed-meshheading:11101632-Testosterone
pubmed:year
2000
pubmed:articleTitle
Gender differences and the effect of different endocrine situations on the NOS expression pattern in the anterior pituitary gland.
pubmed:affiliation
Departments of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. tgonhern@ull.es
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't