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ABSTRACT

We have previously characterized specific oxytocin receptors in the rat anterior pituitary gland, using a highly selective oxytocin receptor antagonist as radio-ligand. The aim of the present study was to examine whether occupation of these receptors by oxytocin produces a stimulation of prolactin release and a rise in the accumulation of total inositol phosphates in the rat adenohypophysis. Anterior pituitary cells harvested from randomly cycling and diethylstilboestrol (100 μg s.c.)-treated rats were perifused with Dulbecco's minimal essential medium at a rate of 0·3 ml/min. Oxytocin and the specific oxytocin agonist [Thr⁴-Gly⁷]-oxytocin (TG-OT) both stimulated a significant prolactin release at concentrations of 10^-6 and 10^-7 m. Oestrogen treatment did not affect the response to oxytocin, indicating that there is no straightforward correlation between receptor number and prolactin secretory response in the rat pituitary gland.

The involvement of phosphoinositide hydrolysis was investigated in dispersed anterior pituitary cells and uterine tissue from randomly cycling rats. Oxytocin and arginine-vasopressin stimulated a significant (P<0·05) and dose-related increase in total inositol phosphates, vasopressin being more potent. The specific oxytocin agonist TG-OT had no effect on total inositol phosphate production in pituitary cells, but when tested in uterine tissue it significantly (P< 0.05) stimulated the accumulation of total inositol phosphate at all concentrations tested (10^-5 to 10^-9 m). In conclusion, the data show that oxytocin has prolactin-releasing activity, acting on specific receptors in the anterior pituitary gland. Furthermore, although oxytocin receptors in the rat uterus are coupled to the inositol phospholipid cycle, it would appear that this is not a prerequisite for the stimulation of prolactin secretion when specific oxytocin receptors in the rat adenohypophysis are activated.

ABSTRACT

We have previously shown that arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulates the production of aldosterone in isolated superfused adrenal glomerulosa cells by a mechanism that involves an increased turnover of phosphoinositides. In the present study we compared the characteristics of AVP- and angiotensin II (AII)-induced changes in phosphoinositide turnover and aldosterone production in the rat. Selected concentrations of the two peptides, which were equipotent in terms of the magnitude of changes induced in phosphoinositide turnover, stimulated aldosterone production to the same extent only in the initial phase of the stimulation. A sustained aldosterone response was only observed in AII-stimulated cells. On the other hand, the AVP-induced increase in incorporation of [³²P]phosphate into phosphatidyl-inositol and the stimulation of inositol phosphate production were maintained during incubation. Preincubation of the cells with AVP failed to modify the effects of AII on phosphoinositide breakdown or aldosterone production. These results indicate that desensitization at the level of the receptor or at a post-receptor site is not responsible for the transient character of AVP-induced aldosterone production. Delayed activation of an inhibitory mechanism by AVP can also be excluded. Additivity of the stimulation of the phosphoinositide turnover observed at submaximally, but not maximally, effective concentrations of AII indicates that the two agonists act on the same phosphoinositide pool. We suggest that the sustained steroidogenic effect of AII involves an as yet unidentified mechanism, which is absent when the cells are stimulated with AVP.