Immunohistochemical localization of hormones and peptides in the human pituitary cells in a case of hipercortisolism by ACTH secreting microadenoma
R. Reyes1, F. Valladares2, L. Díaz-Flores2, L. Feria3, R. Alonso4, G. Tramu5 and A.R. Bello1
1Section of Cell Biology, School of Biology, University of La Laguna, Spain, 2Dept. of Pathological Anatomy and Histology, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Spain, 3Neurosurgery Service, University Hospital, University of La Laguna, Spain and 4Dept. of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of La Laguna, Spain and 5Laboratoire de Neurocytochimie Fonctionnelle, Talence, France
Offprint requests to: Dra. Aixa R. Bello, Department of Cell Biology, School of Biology, University of La Laguna. Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez s/n, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. e-mail: abello@ull.es
Summary. This study assesses the action of hypercortisolism on the hormone and peptide periadenoma region of removed ACTH-producing microadenoma. Our findings show that cortisol excess affects both ACTH and GH production, with no immunoreaction for these hormones. The remaining pituitary hormones (TSH, FSH and PRL) and POMC-derived peptides (ßEnd, alphaMSH and ßMSH) were not modified. Likewise, we observed pituitary immunoreactive cells for Neurotensin (NT), Intestinal vasoactive peptide (VIP), Substance P (SP) and Angiotensin-II (Ang-II). The colocalization demonstrated that NT was expressed in thyrotrope and gonadotrope cells, VIP in gonadotrope cells and SP in corticotrope cells. The results about Ang-II were inconclusive. On the other hand, immunoreaction for the NPY and Gal peptides were not present. In the adenomatous cells, the peptide NT is present in ACTH cells as well as SP. These results suggest a peptide regulation of pituitary cells in the pathological state that can differ between normal and tumoural cells of the same pituitary. Histol Histopathol 22, 709-717 (2007)
Key words: Cushing’s syndrome, Microadenoma, ACTH, Peptides, Immunohistochemistry
DOI: 10.14670/HH-22.709