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Occurrence of rare somatomammotrophs in ovine anterior pituitary tissue studied by immunogold labelling and electron microscopy

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 23:49 authored by J R Thorpe, K P Ray, M Wallis
Prolactin and GH are distinct hormones that have been conventionally thought to be produced and secreted by separate cells in the anterior pituitary gland. Recently it has been suggested that some cells (somatomammotrophs) may secrete both hormones. We have examined the occurrence of somatomammotrophs in sheep anterior pituitary tissue using immunogold labelling. Of a number of procedures used, double labelling using first antibodies raised in different species proved the least susceptible to apparent co-localization of hormones due to artifacts. Using this approach it was shown that a large proportion of the cells in the sheep anterior pituitary glands examined were mammotrophs or somatotrophs, showing no significant co-localization of GH and prolactin. Of 1800 cells examined, only two were somatomammotrophs. One of these, from a female animal, contained GH and prolactin in different granules within the same cell. The other, from a male animal, showed co-localization of these two hormones within the same granules.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Endocrinology

Volume

124

Page range

67-73

Department affiliated with

  • Biochemistry Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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