In ovo green light photostimulation during the late incubation stage affects somatotropic axis activity.

Targeted green light photostimulation during the last stage of broiler incubation increases expression of the somatotropic axis. The purpose of this study was to further shorten the in ovo green light photostimulation and determine the critical age for photostimulation in broilers embryos, as a future strategy for broiler incubation. Fertile broilers eggs (n = 420) were divided into 5 treatment groups. The first group was incubated under standard conditions (in the dark) as the negative control group. The second was incubated under intermittent monochromatic green light using light-emitting diode lamps with an intensity of 0.1 W/m2 at shell level from embryonic day (ED) 0 of incubation until hatch, as a positive control. The third, fourth, and fifth groups were incubated under intermittent monochromatic green light from ED 15, 16, and 18 of incubation, respectively, until hatch. All treatment groups showed elevated somatotropic axis expression compared with the negative control, with the group incubated under monochromatic green light from ED 18 until hatch showing results closest to the positive control. This suggests that broiler embryos can be exposed to in ovo green light photostimulation from a late stage of incubation (when transferring the eggs to the hatchery) and exhibit essentially the same outcome as obtained by photostimulation during the entire incubation period.

Lanreotide promotes apoptosis and is not radioprotective in GH3 cells.

Somatostatin analogs are a mainstay of medical therapy in patients with GH producing human pituitary tumors, and it has been suggested that somatostatin analogs may be radioprotective. We utilized GH secreting rat GH3 cells to investigate whether a somatostatin analog may limit the effects of radiation on proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and on tumor growth in vivo. Treatment with lanreotide alone at doses of either 100 or 1000 nM for 48 h reduced clonogenic survival by 5-10%. Radiation alone produced a dose-dependent survival curve with a SF2 of 48-55%, and lanreotide had no effect on this curve. The addition of lanreotide resulted in a 23% increase in the proportion of apoptotic sub-G1 cells following irradiation (P<0.01). In a mouse GH3 tumor xenograft model, lanreotide 10 mg/kg moderately inhibited the growth of GH3 tumors, with a 4x tumor growth delay (TGD) time that ranged from 4.5 to 8.3 days. Fractionated local tumor radiation alone significantly inhibited tumor growth and produced a TGD of 35.1+/-5.7 days for 250 cGy fractions. The combination of lanreotide, either antecedent to or concurrent, with radiation of 250, 200 or 150 cGy/fraction for 5 days inhibited tumor growth and produced the TGD times that were similar to radiation alone (P>0.05). Pretreatment with lanreotide had the most significant radiosensitizing effect. These studies demonstrate that the somatostatin analog lanreotide is not radioprotective in GH3 cells, and further studies are necessary to determine the impact of lanreotide on apoptosis.

Effect of somatostatin on repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage in pituitary adenoma cells GH3.

Ionizing radiation and somatostatin analogues are used for acromegaly treatment to achieve normalization or reduction of growth hormone hypersecretion and tumor shrinkage. In this study, we investigated a combination of somatostatin (SS14) with ionizing radiation of (60)Co and its effect on reparation of radiation-induced damage and cell death of somatomammotroph pituitary cells GH3. Doses of gamma-radiation 20-50 Gy were shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in GH3 cells regardless of somatostatin presence. It has been found that the D(0) value for GH3 cells was 2.5 Gy. Somatostatin treatment increased radiosensitivity of GH3 cells, so that D(0) value decreased to 2.2 Gy. We detected quick phosphorylation of histone H2A.X upon irradiation by the dose 20 Gy and its colocalization with phosphorylated protein Nbs-1 in the site of double strand break of DNA (DSB). Number of DSB decreased significantly 24 h after irradiation, however, clearly distinguished foci persisted, indicating non repaired DSB, after irradiation alone or after combined treatment by irradiation and SS14. We found that SS14 alone triggers phosphorylation of Nbs1 (p-Nbs1), which correlates with antiproliferative effect of SS14. Irradiation also increased the presence of p-Nbs1. Most intensive phosphorylation of Nbs1 was detected after combined treatment of irradiation and SS14. The decrease of the number of the DSB foci 24 h after treatment shows a significant capacity of repair systems of GH3 cells. In spite of this, large number of unrepaired DSB persists for 24 h after the treatment. We conclude that SS14 does not have a radioprotective effect on somatomammotroph GH3 cells.

Mechanism of spontaneous and receptor-controlled electrical activity in pituitary somatotrophs: experiments and theory.

Cultured pituitary somatotrophs release growth hormone in response to spontaneous Ca(2+) entry through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) that is governed by plateau-bursting electrical activity and is regulated by several neurohormones, including GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin. Here we combine experiments and theory to clarify the mechanisms underlying spontaneous and receptor-controlled electrical activity. Experiments support a role of a Na(+)-conducting and tetrodotoxin-insensitive channel in controlling spontaneous and GHRH-stimulated pacemaking, the latter in a cAMP-dependent manner; an opposing role of spontaneously active inwardly rectifying K(+) (K(ir)) channels and G-protein-regulated K(ir) channels in somatostatin-mediated inhibition of pacemaking; as well as a role of VGCCs in spiking and large conductance (BK-type) Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels in plateau bursting. The mathematical model is compatible with a wide variety of experimental data involving pharmacology and extracellular ion substitution and supports the importance of constitutively active tetrodotoxin-insensitive Na(+) and K(ir) channels in maintaining spontaneous pacemaking in pituitary somatotrophs. The model also suggests that these channels are involved in the up- and downregulation of electrical activity by GHRH and somatostatin. In the model, the plateau bursting is controlled by two functional populations of BK channels, characterized by distance from the VGCCs. The rapid activation of the proximal BK channels is critical for the establishment of the plateau, whereas slow recruitment of the distal BK channels terminates the plateau.