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Expression of MSX1 in Human Normal Pituitaries and Pituitary Adenomas

Endocrine Pathology volume 19, pages 54–61 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Transcription factors play specific roles in the development and differentiation of normal pituitary tissues and pituitary adenoma. The transcription factor, muscle segment homeobox 1 (MSX1), which belongs to the homeobox gene family, binds the promoter region of the glycoprotein hormone α-subunit (SU) in TSH-producing cells in the mouse pituitary and regulates α-SU expression. The present study investigated MSX1 expression in the normal human pituitary. In addition, 50 pituitary adenomas were examined using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to clarify the role of MSX1 in the development and functional differentiation of pituitary adenoma cells. In the normal pituitary, MSX1 was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of GH-producing cells. Furthermore, MSX1 immunoreactivity was observed in the cytoplasm of some α-SU-producing cells. It is interesting to note that, in the pituitary adenoma, MSX1 was expressed in the nucleus of GH- and TSH-producing adenomas. RT-PCR using RNA extracted and purified from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pituitary adenoma specimens revealed MSX1 mRNA expressed in GH- and TSH-producing adenomas. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated MSX1 localized at intranuclear heterochromatin and euchromatin, which suggests transcriptional activity. These results suggest that MSX1 plays a specific role in human pituitary adenoma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. Akira Teramoto (Department of Neurosurgery, Nippon Medical School) for kindly supplying the precious specimens of human pituitary TSH-producing adenomas. This work was supported by a grant from the Tokai University School of Medicine Research Aid (2007).

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan

    Yoshihito Mizokami & Mitsunori Matsumae

  2. Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan

    Noboru Egashira, Susumu Takekoshi & Robert Yoshiyuki Osamura

  3. Department of Teaching and Research Center, School of Medicine, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan

    Johbu Itoh & Yoshiko Itoh

Authors
  1. Yoshihito Mizokami
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  2. Noboru Egashira
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  3. Susumu Takekoshi
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  4. Johbu Itoh
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  5. Yoshiko Itoh
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  6. Robert Yoshiyuki Osamura
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Correspondence to Mitsunori Matsumae.

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Mizokami, Y., Egashira, N., Takekoshi, S. et al. Expression of MSX1 in Human Normal Pituitaries and Pituitary Adenomas. Endocr Pathol 19, 54–61 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-008-9021-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-008-9021-7

Keywords

  • MSX1 (muscle segment homeobox 1)
  • human pituitary adenoma
  • immunohistochemistry
  • immunoelectron microscopy
  • RT-PCR from FFPE samples