Angiotensin peptides regulate angiogenic activity in rat anterior pituitary tumour cell cultures Peptydy angiotensynowe regulują aktywność angiogenną w hodowlach komórkowych szczurzych guzów przedniego płata przysadki

Introduction: Angiogenesis has been shown to be necessary for the development and progression of solid tumours. VEGF is one of the crucial pro-angiogenic cytokines produced by the cells of many of the tumours examined, including various types of anterior pituitary adenomas. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is known to regulate the expression of VEGF in a variety of tissues both in the physiological and pathological conditions. Moreover, an association of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with oestrogen-induced vascular changes during the development of rat pituitary PRL-secreting adenoma has already been demonstrated. The aim of the study was to determine the in vitro effects of angiotensin peptides (Ang II, Ang III and Ang IV) on the secretion of VEGF in two anterior pituitary adenoma cell cultures: the culture of the rat pituitary lactosomatotrope tumour cell line (GH3) and the primary culture of rat PRL-secreting tumour induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES). Material and methods: GH3 and prolactinoma cells were cultured in an F-10 and an F-12 medium respectively and then placed into 24 multiwell plates (10 5 of GH3 cells/well and 10 6