Abstract

This work was undertaken to determine variations in the ¹²⁵I-labelled ovine prolactin (oPRL) binding in rat liver and mammary gland membranes, and to study the molecular forms of prolactin receptor in different physiological situations. Prolactin binding was determined using ¹²⁵I-labelled oPRL in the 100 000 g pellet. ¹²⁵I-Labelled oPRL was cross-linked to receptors in membranes from rat liver and mammary gland and subjected to SDS-PAGE under reducing conditions, followed by autoradiography of dried gels.

In the mammary gland, the specific binding of oPRL to membranes, expressed as mean ± s.e.m. fmol/mg protein increased from 1·36 ±0·24 on the day of dioestrus to 3·26 ±0·60 on the day of oestrus. It remained very low during pregnancy but increased during lactation to reach 4·78 ±0·99. In the liver, the specific binding of oPRL to membranes was higher than in the mammary gland on the days of dioestrus 1, dioestrus 2 and oestrus, but not on the day of pro-oestrus. It increased until day 14 of pregnancy when the specific binding of ¹²⁵I-labelled oPRL was 17·01 ±0·30.

Cross-linking revealed different molecular forms in the mammary glands and the liver. In the mammary gland we observed four prolactin-binding forms of 80, 50, 40 and 16 kDa, all of which were specific for prolactin. The 80, 50 and 40 kDa forms were also able to bind to a Concanavalin A–Sepharose column, indicating that these binding forms were glycosylated while the smaller one (16 kDa) appeared to be unglycosylated. The 40 kDa prolactin receptor was seen at all stages studied: the oestrous cycle (dioestrus, pro-oestrus and oestrus), pregnancy (days 8, 14 and 22) and lactation. The 50 kDa form was observed in the mammary gland during the day of pro-oestrus and gestation. It was also observed in ovariectomized rats treated with oestradiol (OE₂), suggesting that OE₂ could be one of the factors involved in the induction of this receptor form. The 16 kDa form of the receptor was found in the mammary gland only during lactation. This form, while unglycosylated, bound specifically to prolactin, suggesting that it might play a specific role during lactation.

In the liver, two forms were shown, a major one of 40 kDa and a minor one of 80 kDa. No variation in receptor molecular weight was found in the liver during the physiological stages studied.

Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 141, 271–278

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein (IGFBP)-3 has been shown to be a growth inhibitory, apoptosis-inducing molecule by virtue of its ability to bind IGFs, in addition to previously demonstrated IGF-independent effects. The recent discovery of the interaction between nuclear IGFBP-3 and 9-cis retinoic acid receptor-alpha (retinoid X receptor alpha RXRalpha), a nuclear receptor, and its involvement in the regulation of transcriptional signaling and apoptosis represents an important paradigm shift in the understanding of IGFBP function. RXRalpha is required for the apoptosis-inducing effects of IGFBP-3. IGFBP-3 and RXR ligands are additive in inducing apoptosis in cancer cells. IGFBP-3 has direct effects on gene transcription, as RXR response element reporter signaling was enhanced and the all-trans retinoic acid receptor response element reporter signaling was inhibited. Accumulating evidence further confirms IGF-independent functions of this multifunction binding protein. Other binding proteins, in addition to other members of the IGF axis, have now been described in the nucleus and are postulated to have effects on transcriptional events. Investigation into these new interactions will expose new protein partners in the interface between the nuclear receptor and growth factor pathways and reveal new targets to be exploited in the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

The IGF axis has been implicated in the pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) via the paracrine action of IGFs and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). In this study, we examined the regulation of cell growth and IGFBP-3 secretion by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) in prostatic stromal cell (PC-S) cultures from histologically normal tissues and tissues from BPH. PC-S cultures were treated with varying doses of TGF-beta1. Forty-eight hour conditioned media (CM) from these cultures were subjected to Western immunoblotting and ligand blotting for detection and quantification of IGFBPs. IGFBPs-2, -3 and -4 were detected in the CM from normal PC-S cultures. In CM from BPH PC-S, IGFBP-3 levels were 2-fold lower at baseline than in the normal PC-S CM, in addition to the differences in IGFBPs-2 and -5 which we have previously reported. In response to TGF-beta1, a 15-fold increase in the levels of IGFBP-3 was observed in normal PC-S CM, while a mere 2-fold increase was observed in BPH PC-S CM (P<0.001). These findings were confirmed by specific immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry. IGFBP-3 mRNA levels detected by Northern blotting of total RNA extracted from similar cultures showed the induction of IGFBP-3 expression by TGF-beta1 in normal PC-S and its lack of induction in BPH PC-S. Cell growth inhibition in response to TGF-beta1 correlated with the IGFBP-3 concentrations found in CM. Normal PC-S showed a 60% decrease in cell number after 10 days in media with 1 ng/ml TGF-beta1, compared with the untreated control. The decrease in proliferation observed in comparably treated BPH cells was only 20% (P<0.001). In conclusion, BPH PC-S had a reduced IGFBP-3 response to TGF-beta1 and demonstrated decreased TGF-beta1-induced growth inhibition relative to normal PC-S. We hypothesize that in normal PC-S, TGF-beta exerts its anti-proliferative effects by stimulating the production of IGFBP-3, which acts as an inhibitory factor, either by inhibiting IGFs or directly by interacting with cells, and that this process is altered in BPH PC-S.

ABSTRACT

In this study, aimed at investigating whether dopaminergic regulation of prolactin could be implicated in the hypoprolactinaemia observed in the IPL nude rat, dopaminergic inhibition of prolactin was suppressed using a catecholamine synthesis inhibitor α-methyltyrosine (MT) and a dopaminergic antagonist sulpiride.

Adult male rats (IPL nude and normal) were injected through implanted atrial cannulae with either MT (250 mg/kg) or physiological saline (control). Rats were decapitated 2 h after the injection. Plasma prolactin levels, compared with basal values, increased by 15·6 ± 1·9 (s.e.m.)- and 5·89 ± 0·6-fold in IPL nude and normal rats respectively. This difference was highly significant. The pituitary prolactin content was decreased in both groups.

In a second experiment, adult male IPL nude or normal rats were injected with either sulpiride (1 mg/kg) or saline and decapitated 2, 4, 8, 12, 14 and 24 h later. Plasma prolactin levels, compared with basal values, were increased in rats injected with sulpiride by 9·2 ± 1·8 and 3·4 ± 0·7-fold in IPL nude and normal rats respectively. The pituitary prolactin content was reduced more in IPL nude than in normal sulpiride-injected rats. These data suggest that prolactin secretion, as well as synthesis, is under an increased dopaminergic inhibition in the male IPL nude rat.

J. Endocr. (1985) 107, 325–329

Cells are known to undergo apoptosis when cultured in high serum concentrations. However, the serum factors responsible for this induction of apoptosis have not been identified. The IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), a negative growth regulator, is found at concentrations of 5 microgram/ml in serum. We have recently demonstrated that IGFBP-3 induces apoptosis in PC-3 cells, a prostate cancer cell line, at a concentration of 500 ng/ml. In this communication, we demonstrate the role of IGFBP-3 as one of the apoptosis-inducing agents in high serum concentrations. Treatment of PC-3 cells with increasing concentrations (40% to 90%) of intact human serum (HS) resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell growth. Valinomycin, an ionophore, was used as a positive control to measure the induction of apoptosis by serum treatment in PC-3 cells. Treatment with 90% serum showed significant suppression of growth (P<0.001) compared with the effect of 10% serum. Treatment with increasing concentrations of HS (40% to 90%) resulted in a dose-dependent increase in apoptosis. Treatment with 90% HS showed a 10-fold increase in apoptotic index compared with cells treated with 10% HS. Treatment of PC-3 cells with IGFs and IGFBP-3-depleted 90% human sera (depleted serum=DS) demonstrated significantly lower levels of apoptosis (50% reduction in the effect of 90% HS) suggesting a role of IGFBP-3 in inducing apoptosis in high serum concentration. Furthermore, treatment with DS supplemented with recombinant IGFBP-3 (500 ng/ml) brought the apoptotic index down close to the level of apoptosis induced by 90% intact serum treatment (P<0.001). However, DS supplemented with physiological concentrations of IGFs (500 ng/ml) showed only partial recovery of cell survival demonstrated by 90% DS. This data indicates that IGFBP-3 is one of the factors in serum that is responsible for high-serum-induced apoptosis.

SUMMARY

The residual catecholamine content of the cat adrenal gland after the removal of much of the medulla contained a significantly higher percentage of adrenaline than that of the excised medulla. Fluorescent and phase microscopy showed that in these glands a layer of medullary tissue adjacent to the cortex still remained. The high concentration of adrenaline in chromaffin cells nearest to cortical tissue provides further evidence for the theory that the adrenal cortex acts to facilitate the formation of adrenaline from noradrenaline in the medulla.

ABSTRACT

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), hitherto identified on activated B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, endothelia and certain epithelial cells, serves as a ligand for the lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1). ICAM-1 binding by LFA-1 enhances the efficiency of lymphocyte-target cell and lymphocyte-accessory cell interactions. We have investigated the in-vitro expression of ICAM-1 by cultured thyroid cells from five patients with Graves' disease using indirect immunofluorescence analysis, and found that 30 ± 11% (mean ± s.d.) of cells were ICAM-1 positive under basal conditions. The proportion of cells which were ICAM-1 positive and the amount of ICAM-1 per cell (assessed by fluorescence intensity) were both increased in all cases by the cytokines γ-interferon, interleukin-1 and tumour necrosis factor. Immunohistochemical analysis of frozen sections from thyroidectomy specimens demonstrated ICAM-1 on thyroid follicular cells in areas of lymphocytic infiltration in patients with Graves' disease (n = 2) or Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n = 2). ICAM-1 was not found in specimens from a patient with a toxic multinodular goitre or a patient with Graves' disease without focal lymphocytic accumulation. These results suggest that the thyroid epithelium may express ICAM-1 as well as major histocompatibility complex class II antigens, such as HLA-DR, in response to locally synthesized cytokines. The enhanced expression of ICAM-1 may render these cells more susceptible as targets for lymphocytemediated cytotoxicity, and together with HLA-DR antigen expression may increase the accessory cell capability of the thyroid follicular cells.

Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 185–191

Abstract

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is an insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) protease found in seminal plasma and produced by prostatic epithelial cells (PC-E) in vivo. We examined the effects of PSA-proteolysis of IGFBP-3 on the affinity of IGFBP-3 fragments for IGFs and on the mitogenic action of IGFs on PC-E. Recombinant human IGFBP-3 was cleaved by PSA, then incubated with ¹²⁵I-IGF-I or -II in the presence of varying concentrations of unlabelled peptides, and then cross-linking electrophoresis and densitometric analysis were performed. While the affinity of IGF-II for the PSA-generated IGFBP-3 fragments fell slightly compared to intact IGFBP-3, the affinity of the PSA-generated IGFBP-3 fragments for IGF-I fell by ten fold. The addition of IGF-I or -II to PC-E in serum-free culture conditions resulted in a two-fold stimulation of cell number compared to control. The presence of IGFBP-3 in the media blocked the IGF-induced stimulation, but had no independent effect in the absence of IGFs. When PSA was added to PC-E cultures to which both IGF-I or -II and IGFBP-3 were added, the inhibitory effects of IGFBP-3 on IGF mitogenesis were reversed. We conclude that PSA decreases the affinity of IGFBP-3 for IGF and can potentiate IGF action in the presence of inhibitory IGFBP-3. This phenomenon may contribute to normal and malignant prostate growth.

Journal of Endocrinology (1994) 142, 407–415

SUMMARY

The plasma sugar, free fatty acids (FFA), 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (11-OHCS) and growth hormone (GH) response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia, have been studied in 19 patients with primary myxoedema and 13 normal subjects. Nine of the myxoedematous patients were restudied after treatment. The plasma 11-OHCS response to lysine vasopressin (LVP) was studied in the myxoedematous subjects and again in eight of them after treatment.

In myxoedema the plasma sugar falls to a lesser extent and more slowly in response to insulin than normal and takes longer to recover. The fall in plasma FFA is not different from normal, but recovery of plasma FFA is delayed. The responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia of plasma GH and 11-OHCS may be smaller than normal in myxoedema and tend to improve on treatment. Altered GH and 11-OHCS responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in myxoedema are not necessarily due to pituitary or hypothalamic dysfunction. No difference was found in the response of plasma 11-OHCS to LVP before and after treatment. Pituitary function cannot be fully assessed in the presence of hypothyroidism.

The IGFs are mitogenic agents which are closely linked to regulatory processes in carbohydrate metabolism. Because limited information is available on the occurrence of the IGF system in the pancreatic β-cell milieu, we evaluated the presence of IGFs, IGF receptors, and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) in the β-cell lines βTC3 and HIT T-15. Serum-free conditioned media (SFCM) from βTC3 cells contained IGF-II at concentrations greater than 100 ng/ml. High (15 kDa) and low (7·5 kDa) molecular weight IGF-II were detected both by column chromatography followed by RIA and by immunoblotting. GH (10–1000 ng/ml) conditioning of βTC3 cells stimulated IGF-II secretion in a dose-dependent manner. IGF-II mRNA was detected in βTC3 cells using Northern blots, and also showed a GH-dependent relationship. IGF-II peptide was detected in SFCM from HIT cells, albeit at lower concentrations. To evaluate the presence of IGF receptors in β-cell lines, affinity cross-linking studies were performed on βTC3 cells, demonstrating type I IGF receptors which bound iodinated IGF-II with high affinity, iodinated IGF-I with lesser affinity, and had minimal appreciable binding to iodinated insulin. Type II IGF receptors were not detected. SFCM from βTC3 and HIT cells was subjected to Western ligand blotting, which disclosed the presence of two major IGFBPs of 29 kDa and 24 kDa, characteristic of IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4. The identity of the specific IGFBPs was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and Northern blotting. Varying the glucose concentration had no significant effect on the levels of IGFBPs, nor did preconditioning with GH, IGF-I, IGF-II, insulin, or glucagon. Levels of both IGFBPs in βTC3 cell-conditioned media increased in the presence of dexamethasone at concentrations of 10⁻⁶ m or greater. In summary, we present evidence that β-cell lines comprise an environment for GH and IGF action. We speculate that IGFs, their receptors and binding proteins function as a complex interactive system which regulates β-cell growth and function.

Journal of Endocrinology (1997) 152, 455–464