Faculty Research 1990 - 1999

Gonadotropes in a novel rat pituitary tumor cell line, RC-4B/C. Establishment and partial characterization of the cell line.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1990

Keywords

Animal, Cell-Division, Corticotropin: me, FSH: me, Immunohistochemistry, LH: me, Male, Microscopy-Electron, Pituitary-Gland-Anterior: cy, me, ul, Pituitary-Hormones-Anterior: me, Pituitary-Neoplasms: me, pa, Prolactin: me, Rats, Receptors-Gonadotropin: me, Retroviridae: an, SUPPORT-NON-U-S-GOVT, SUPPORT-U-S-GOVT-P-H-S, Tumor-Cells-Cultured

First Page

431

Last Page

440

JAX Location

Reprint Collection

JAX Source

In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 1990 May;26(5):431-40

Grant

DK17631/DK/NIDDK, CA24145/CA/NCI, CA31102/CA/NCI

Abstract

An epithelial cell line (RC-4B/C) was established from a pituitary adenoma obtained from a 3-yr-old (ACI/fMai X F344/fMai)F1 male rat. Before Year 5 in vitro, RC-4B/C cells could not be viably recovered from cryogenic storage. Recovery of viable cells from cryogenic storage in Year 5 was associated with a more transformed phenotype, including the appearance of endogenous C-type rat retroviral particles. The ultrastructural appearance of the cells was similar to that of differentiated anterior pituitary cells; the cultured cells contained numerous, electron dense, secretory granules, Golgi complexes, and extended arrays of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Immunocytochemical study showed that all cell types present in the rat anterior pituitary gland were present in the cell line. The percentage of luteinizing hormone beta (LH beta) cells in the cell line was higher (19.9%) and that of growth hormone cells was lower (12.2%) than in normal male rat pituitary, whereas the cell line contained a comparable percentage of follicle stimulating hormone beta (FSH beta), prolactin (PRL), ACTH, and thyrotropin beta cells. Radioimmunoassay data demonstrated the PRL content of the cells was comparable to that of normal male rat pituitary gland, whereas the content of LH and FSH was 70- and 800-fold lower, respectively. Assay of specific receptor sites for gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) using Scatchard plots of the data established the RC-4B/C cells contained GnRH receptor sites of the same affinity as in the pituitary gland, but of twofold lower capacity. These data suggest the RC-4B/C cell line warrants further study as a model for the induction and maintenance of the gonadotropic function of the pituitary gland.

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