Insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA and peptide in the human anterior pituitary.

The pituitary is the central organ regulating virtually all endocrine processes, and pathologies of the pituitary cause manifold adverse effects. Because insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I appears to be involved in tumour pathogenesis, progression, and persistence, and only few data exist on the cellular synthesis sites of IGF-I, the present study aims to create a basis for further research on pituitary adenomas by investigating the presence of IGF-I in the human pituitary using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry. IGF-I was expressed in the pituitary, and gene sequence analysis revealed a sequence identical to that found in human liver. The distribution pattern of IGF-I mRNA found by in situ hybridisation corresponded to that of IGF-I peptide in immunohistochemistry. In all pituitary samples investigated, IGF-I-immunoreactivity occurred in almost all adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-immunoreactive cells. Occasionally, an interindividually varying number of growth hormone (GH) and, infrequently, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone cells contained IGF-I-immunoreactivity but none was detected in supporting cells. At the ultrastructural level, IGF-I-immunoreactivity was confined to secretory granules in coexistence with ACTH- or GH-immunoreactivity, respectively, indicating a concomitant release of the hormones. Thus, in humans, IGF-I appears to be a constituent in ACTH cells whereas its production in GH-producing and gonadotrophic cells may depend on the physiological status (e.g. serum IGF-I level, age or reproductive phase). It is assumed that locally produced IGF-I plays a crucial role in the regulation of endocrine cells by autocrine/paracrine mechanisms in addition to the endocrine route.