Endocrine Abstracts

Endocrine disruptor compounds (EDCs) may cause disorders and alter the normal hormone synthesis and/or release.

Aim was to investigate the effects of EDCs on normal hypophysis regulation; particularly the arginine–vasopressine (AVP) activated ACTH release from adenohypophysis cells and the monoamine activated AVP release from neurohypophysis cells.

Primary monolayer cell cultures prepared from Wistar rat hypophyses. Separated adenohypophysis (AdH) and neurohypophysis (NH) tissues were dissociated by enzymatic and mechanic methods. The 14-day-old cultures were standardized for ACTH in AdH for AVP in NH cultures and for cell-viability. ACTH and AVP contents of the endocrine cells were checked and the hormone release function was challenged with an aspecific osmotic stimulus (30 mM K⁺). Untreated cultures used as control. Cultures treated – (I) 1 h 0.1 μg/ml EDCs (ClB, MU, DU, and PU)/n=8; (II) 10^–6 M monoamines (epinephrine: A; serotonine: 5HT) alone/n=8; and (III) the stimulant agents (AVP, monoamines) in combinations with EDCs/n=8. ACTH and AVP and protein content was measured from supernatant media.

Results: Basal ACTH (1470 pg ACTH/mg protein) and AVP (47.25 pg AVP/mg protein) from AdH and NH respectively did not change significantly after the EDCs (I) treatment. The AVP induced ACTH release (11 750 pg ACTH/mg protein) and the monoamines induced AVP (5HT: 194.18 pg AVP/mg protein and A: 199.26 pg AVP/mg protein) (II) became strongly increased.

In the (III) experimental protocols, combined treatments where were used (AdH/ACTH: AVP+ClB: 14 620 pg ACTH/mg protein; AVP+PU: 13 114 pg ACTH/mg protein; AVP+MU: 14 997 pg ACTH/mg protein; AVP+DU: 15 174 pg ACTH/mg protein; NH/AVP: A+CLB: 216.16 ng AVP/mg protein; 5HT+CLB: 203.28 pg AVP/mg protein; A+PU: 173.29 pg AVP/mg protein; 5HT+PU: 163.42 pg AVP/mg protein; A+MU: 184.66 pg AVP/mg protein; 5HT+MU: 181.39 pg AVP/mg protein; A+DU: 211.28 pg AVP/mg protein; and 5HT+DU: 216.88 pg AVP/mg protein).

Data demonstrate that EDCs can moderate pituitary cell regulation in vitro. AVP and monoamine regulated hormone release from hypophyseal cells was influenced variably depending from the EDCs applied.

Disclosure: Supported by TÁMOP 4.1.1.C-12/1/KONV; TÁMOP-4.2.2.A-11/1/KONV-2012-0035.