Cell and Tissue Research

, Volume 331, Issue 3, pp 589–594 | Cite as

In vivo correlation between c-Fos expression and corticotroph stimulation by adrenocorticotrophic hormone secretagogues in rat anterior pituitary gland

  • Shu Takigami
  • Ken Fujiwara
  • Motoshi Kikuchi
  • Takashi Yashiro
Regular Article
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

In the anterior pituitary gland, c-Fos expression is evoked by various stimuli. However, whether c-Fos expression is directly related to the stimulation of anterior pituitary cells by hypothalamic secretagogues is unclear. To confirm whether the reception of hormone-releasing stimuli evokes c-Fos expression in anterior pituitary cells, we have examined c-Fos expression of anterior pituitary glands in rats administered with synthetic corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) intravenously or subjected to restraint stress. Single intravenous administration of CRH increases the number of c-Fos-expressing cells, and this number does not change even if the dose is increased. Double-immunostaining has revealed that most of the c-Fos-expressing cells contain adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH); corticotrophs that do not express c-Fos in response to CRH have also been found. However, restraint stress evokes c-Fos expression in most of the corticotrophs and in a partial population of lactotrophs. These results suggest that c-Fos expression increases in corticotrophs stimulated by ACTH secretagogues, including CRH. Furthermore, we have found restricted numbers of corticotrophs expressing c-Fos in response to CRH. Although the mechanism underlying the different responses to CRH is not apparent, c-Fos is probably a useful immunohistochemical marker for corticotrophs stimulated by ACTH secretagogues.

Keywords

Anterior pituitary gland Corticotroph Stress Corticotrophin-releasing hormone Immunohistochemistry Rat (Sprague Dawley, male) 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank M. Yatabe for technical assistance.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2007

Authors and Affiliations

  • Shu Takigami
    • 1
  • Ken Fujiwara
    • 1
  • Motoshi Kikuchi
    • 1
  • Takashi Yashiro
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of AnatomyJichi Medical University School of MedicineShimotsuke-shiJapan

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