Summary
Immunocytochemistry of paraffin sections of Bouin-fixed rat pituitaries with antiserum to luteinizinghormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) revealed two types of cells. Type I cells exhibit granular staining throughout their cytoplasm. The immunoreactivity of type II cells is confined to a much smaller area of the cytoplasm. Type I cells are located in the ventral margin of the pars intermedia, the region between the pars intermedia and the pars distalis, and the pars distalis adjacent to this region. Type II cells have a broader distribution in the pars distalis, but tend to concentrate in the region of the pars distalis near the pars intermedia. Type I cells are distinct from gonadotropes. Type II cells appear to comprise a subgroup of gonadotropes. Staining in type I, but not type II, cells in pituitary explants, maintained in serum-free media for seven days, is as intense as that in normal pituitary tissue. The data suggest that the type I cells are producing an intrinsic LHRH-like material and may be responsible, in part, for the regulation of some gonadotropes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker BL (1975) Distribution of gonadotropin-releasing hormone in the rat brain as observed with immunocytochemistry. Endocrinology 97:125–133
Bauer TW, Moriarty CM, Childs GV (1981) Studies of immunoreactive gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in rat anterior pituitary. J Histochem Cytochem 29:1171–1178
Celio M, Inagami T (1981) Angiotensin II immunoreactivity coexists with renin in the juxtaglomerular cells of the kidney. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:3897–3900
Daniel PM, Prichard MML (1975) Studies of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland with special reference to the effects of transection of the pituitary stalk. Acta Endocrinol (Kbh) suppl 201:1–216
Duello TM, Nett TM (1980) Uptake, localization, and retention of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in rat gonadotrophs. Mol Cell Endocrinol 19:101–112
Hea PF, Lederis K, Neuzran F (1971) Effects of cyproterone on the ultrastructure of the rat adenohypophysis. In: Heller H, Lederis K (eds) Sucellular organization and function in endocrine tissues. Cambridge University Press, pp 147–160
Nakane PK (1968) Simultaneous localization of multiple antigens using the peroxidase-labeled antibody method: A study on pituitary gland of the rat. J Histochem Cytochem 16:557–560
Pelletier G, Dube D, Guy J, Seguin C, Lefebvre FA (1982) Binding and internalization of a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist by rat gonadotrophic cells. A radioautographic study. Endocrinology 111:1068–1075
Scharrer B (1978) An evolutionary interpretation of the phenomenon of neurosecretion. The American Museum of Natural History, New York, pp 1–17
Scharrer B (1981) Neuroendocrinology and histochemistry. In: Stoward PJ, Polak JM (eds) Histochemistry: The widening horizons. John Wiley, New York, p 11
Scharrer E, Scharrer B (1939) Secretory cells within the hypothalamus. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis 20:170–193
Sternberger LA, Petrali JP (1975) Quantitative immunocytochemistry of pituitary receptors for luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. Cell Tissue Res 162:141–176
Sternberger LA, Hardy PH, Cuculis JJ, Meyer HG (1970) The unlabeled antibody-enzyme method of immunocytochemistry. Preparation and properties of soluble antigen-antibody complex (horseradish peroxidase-antihorseradish peroxidase) and its use in identification of spirochetes. J Histochem Cytochem 18:315–333
Sternberger LA, Petrali JP, Joseph SA, Meyer HG, Mills KS (1978) Specificity of the immunocytochemical luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptor reaction. Endocrinology 102:63–73
Sternberger LA, Greenwald JL, Hock D, Elger K, Forssmann W-G (1981) New hypothalamic substance, and not LHRH, is detected immunocytochemically by anti-LHRH. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:5216–5220
Szentágothai J, Flerkó B, Mess B, Halász B (1968) Hypothalamic control of the anterior pituitary. An experimental-morphological study. Third edition. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, p 93
Taugner M, Marin-Grez M, Keilbach R, Hackenthal E, Nobiling R (1982) Immunoreactive renin and angiotensin II in the afferent glomerular arterioles of rats with hypertension due to unilateral renal artery constriction. Histochemistry 76:61–70
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by NIH grants HD12932, NS15843 and NS15809 (LAS), National Science Foundation grant BNS 82-05643 (LAS), and a grant from the Phillippe Foundation (JYL)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Li, J.Y., Knapp, R.J. & Sternberger, L.A. Immunocytochemistry of a “private” luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone system in the pituitary. Cell Tissue Res. 235, 263–266 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217849
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00217849