ECE2007 Poster Presentations (1) (659 abstracts)
Dept. of Internal Medicine Bytom, Silesian Medical University, Katowice, Poland.
Introduction: Interferon alpha (IFN alpha) is a cytokine with pleiotropic effects and via different pathways influences secretion of certain cytokines and hormones. Growth Hormone (GH) secreted from the pituitary has its physiological effects on various target tissues. The question is how IFN alpha administered in various type of diseases influences GH secretion. This study investigated acute effect of IFN-alpha on GH mRNA expression in rat anterior pituitary
Objective: The aim of the study was to measure the cellular expression of GH mRNA by in situhybridisation in anterior pituitary after IFN alpha single administration
Material and methods: Rats were administered intraperitoneal injection of IFN alpha or saline. Rat pituitaries were taken 2 and 4 hours after IFN/saline administration and kept frozen until in situhybridisation histochemistry. 31base35S-labelled oligonucleotide probe complementary to part of the exonic mRNA sequences coding for GH mRNA was used. All control and experimental sections were hybridised in the same hybridisation reaction
Results: Interferon α acute administration increases GH mRNA expression in the anterior pituitary in 4 hours group in comparison to the control group, and there was no difference between control group and 2-hours rats.
Conclusion: The influence of single IFN alpha administration on anterior pituitary GH mRNA expression has been found. These observations may pave the way for presenting a new possible IFN alpha action.