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Significance of Growth Hormone-releasing Hormone Receptor mRNA in Non-neoplastic Pituitary and Pituitary Adenomas: A Study by RT-PCR and in situ Hybridization

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Abstract

This study examined the expression of human growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R) mRNA in both non-neoplastic pituitary tissues and pituitary adenomas by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization (ISH).

RT-PCR analysis showed that all of the non-neoplastic pituitaries and all GH-producing adenomas, one prolactinoma and one third of the non-functioning adenomas expressed GHRH-R mRNA. ISH demonstrated that all of GH-producing adenomas and two prolactinomas expressed GHRH-R mRNA. The expression of GHRH-R mRNA in GH-producing adenomas was greater than that in the other adenomas by RT-PCR and ISH. GHRH-R mRNA detected by ISH was observed only in GH cells from the pituitary gland of a young girl. In pituitary adenomas, a diffuse signal was observed in the cytoplasm of all of the GH-producing adenomas and in two prolactinomas. Expression of GHRH-R mRNA was not seen in normal prolactin cells, or in any adenomas other than GH-producing adenomas and a few prolactinomas.

These results suggest that GHRH-R mRNA plays a role mainly in the function of GH-producing adenomas but may also play a role in function of some prolactinomas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurosurgery and Pathology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

    Hidehiro Oka & Nobuyuki Kawano

  2. Department of Pathology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

    Toru Kameya, Yuichi Sato & Heiji Naritaka

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  1. Hidehiro Oka
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  2. Toru Kameya
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  3. Yuichi Sato
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  4. Heiji Naritaka
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  5. Nobuyuki Kawano
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Oka, H., Kameya, T., Sato, Y. et al. Significance of Growth Hormone-releasing Hormone Receptor mRNA in Non-neoplastic Pituitary and Pituitary Adenomas: A Study by RT-PCR and in situ Hybridization. J Neurooncol 41, 197–204 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006151001536

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