Testicular degeneration in Bclw-deficient mice.

To identify genes required for mammalian spermatogenesis, we screened lines of mutant mice created using a retroviral gene-trap system for male infertility. Homozygous ROSA41 male mice exhibit sterility associated with progressive testicular degeneration. Germ-cell defects are first observed at 19 days post-natal (p19). Spermatogenesis is blocked during late spermiogenesis in young adults. Gradual depletion of all stages of germ cells results in a Sertoli-cell-only phenotype by approximately six months of age. Subsequently, almost all Sertoli cells are lost from the seminiferous tubules and the Leydig cell population is reduced. Molecular analysis indicates that the gene mutated is Bclw, a death-protecting member of the Bcl2 family. The mutant allele of Bclw in ROSA41 does not produce a Bclw polypeptide. Expression of Bclw in the testis appears to be restricted to elongating spermatids and Sertoli cells. Potential roles for Bclw in testicular function are discussed.

Mice deficient of Lats1 develop soft-tissue sarcomas, ovarian tumours and pituitary dysfunction.

The lats gene has been identified as a tumour suppressor in Drosophila melanogaster using mosaic screens. Mosaic flies carrying somatic cells that are mutant for lats develop large tumours in many organs. The human LATS1 homologue rescues embryonic lethality and inhibits tumour growth in lats mutant flies, demonstrating the functional conservation of this gene. Biochemical and genetic analyses have revealed that LATS1 functions as a negative regulator of CDC2 (ref. 3). These data suggest that mammalian LATS1 may have a role in tumorigenesis. To elucidate the function of mammalian LATS1, we have generated Lats1-/- mice. Lats1-/- animals exhibit a lack of mammary gland development, infertility and growth retardation. Accompanying these defects are hyperplastic changes in the pituitary and decreased serum hormone levels. The reproductive hormone defects of Lats1-/- mice are reminiscent of isolated LH-hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and corpus luteum insufficiency in humans. Furthermore, Lats1-/- mice develop soft-tissue sarcomas and ovarian stromal cell tumours and are highly sensitive to carcinogenic treatments. Our data demonstrate a role for Lats1 in mammalian tumorigenesis and specific endocrine dysfunction.

Hypogonadism and obesity in mice with a targeted deletion of the Nhlh2 gene.

The family of basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes comprises transcription factors involved in many aspects of growth and development. We have previously described two bHLH transcription factors, Nhlh1 and Nhlh2 (originally named NSCL1 and NSCL2). The nucleotide and predicted protein sequences of Nhlh1 and Nhlh2 are homologous within their bHLH domain where there are only three conservative amino acid differences. During murine embryogenesis, Nhlh1 and Nhlh2 share an overlapping but distinct pattern of expression in the developing nervous system. To improve our understanding of the role of these genes during neurogenesis, we have generated mice containing targeted deletions of both genes and here describe our results for Nhlh2. Loss of Nhlh2 results in a disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in mice. Male Nhlh2-/- mice are microphallic, hypogonadal and infertile with alterations in circulating gonadotropins, a defect in spermatogenesis and a loss of instinctual male sexual behaviour. Female Nhlh2-/- mice reared alone are hypogonadal, but when reared in the presence of males, their ovaries and uteri develop normally and they are fertile. Both male and female homozygotes exhibit progressive adult-onset obesity. Nhlh2 is expressed in the ventral-medial and lateral hypothalamus, Rathke's pouch and in the anterior lobe of the adult pituitary. Our results support a role for Nhlh2 in the onset of puberty and the regulation of body weight metabolism.

Prolactin's mediative role in male parenting in parentally experienced marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

Prolactin has been implicated in promoting paternal care behaviors but little evidence of causality has been found to date except for birds and fish. This study was designed to examine the possible causal relationships between prolactin and male parenting behaviors, reproductive hormones, and physical changes in cooperatively breeding common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Fifteen parentally experienced fathers were studied over three consecutive infant care periods during two weeks prior and three weeks following their mates' parturition under three-treatment conditions: normal control pregnancy, decreased prolactin and elevated prolactin. The treatments significantly altered the serum prolactin levels in the fathers. Using three methods of determining a father's level of parental care: infant carrying, family effort and responsiveness to infant stimulus tests, we found that only the male response to infant stimuli was altered by the hormone treatments. Lowering prolactin significantly reduced male responsiveness to infant stimuli but elevating prolactin showed the same effect. Hormonal sampling indicated that testosterone levels showed an inverse relationship to prolactin levels during a normal peripartum period and prolactin treatment reduced this relationship. Prepartum estradiol levels were significantly elevated during the lowered prolactin treatment and estradiol was significantly lowered postpartum with the elevated prolactin treatment. Father's weight decreased significantly by the third week of infant care during the normal treatment. Males in the elevated prolactin treatment lost little or no weight from prepartum while in the lowered prolactin treatment showed the most weight loss. The present findings did not distinguish a direct causal relationship of prolactin on behavior in experienced fathers but did find an interaction with other hormones and weight gain.

Pituitary-specific knockout of the Carney complex gene Prkar1a leads to pituitary tumorigenesis.

Carney complex (CNC) is an inherited neoplasia syndrome characterized by spotty skin pigmentation, myxomas, endocrine tumors, and schwannomas. Among the endocrine tumors that comprise the syndrome, GH-producing pituitary tumors are seen in approximately 10% of patients, although biochemical abnormalities of the GH axis are much more common. To explore the role of loss of the CNC gene PRKAR1A on pituitary tumorigenesis, we produced a tissue-specific knockout (KO) of this gene in the mouse. For these studies, we generated a mouse line expressing the cre recombinase in pituitary cells using the rat GHRH receptor promoter. These mice were then crossed with Prkar1a conditional null animals to produce tissue-specific KOs. Although prolactinomas were observed in KO and control mice, the KO mice exhibited a significantly increased frequency of pituitary tumors compared with wild-type or conventional Prkar1a(+/-) mice. Characterization of the tumors demonstrated they were composed of cells of the Pit1 lineage that stained for GH, prolactin, and TSH. At the biochemical level, levels of GH in the serum of KO animals were markedly elevated compared with controls, regardless of the presence of a frank tumor. These data indicate that complete loss of Prkar1a is sufficient to allow the formation of pituitary tumors and abnormalities of the GH axis, in close analogy to human patients with CNC.

Loss of Gq/11 family G proteins in the nervous system causes pituitary somatotroph hypoplasia and dwarfism in mice.

Heterotrimeric G proteins of the Gq/11 family transduce signals from a variety of neurotransmitter and hormone receptors and have therefore been implicated in various functions of the nervous system. Using the Cre/loxP system, we generated mice which lack the genes coding for the alpha subunits of the two main members of the Gq/11 family, gnaq and gna11, selectively in neuronal and glial precursor cells. Mice with defective gnaq and gna11 genes were morphologically normal, but they died shortly after birth. Mice carrying a single gna11 allele survived the early postnatal period but died within 3 to 6 weeks as anorectic dwarfs. In these mice, postnatal proliferation of pituitary somatotroph cells was strongly impaired, and plasma growth hormone (GH) levels were reduced to 15%. Hypothalamic levels of GH-releasing hormone (GHRH), an important stimulator of somatotroph proliferation, were strongly decreased, and exogenous administration of GHRH restored normal proliferation. The hypothalamic effects of ghrelin, a regulator of GHRH production and food intake, were reduced in these mice, suggesting that an impairment of ghrelin receptor signaling might contribute to GHRH deficiency and abnormal eating behavior. Taken together, our findings show that Gq/11 signaling is required for normal hypothalamic function and that impairment of this signaling pathway causes somatotroph hypoplasia, dwarfism, and anorexia.

Environmental and hormonal correlates of immune activity in a cooperatively breeding tropical bird.

Because climatic patterns in temperate regions are generally predictable, species can allocate resources adaptively among competing physiological processes before environmental conditions change. In the semi-arid tropics where environments are seasonal, but highly unpredictable, allocation decisions may be more sensitive to short-term fluctuations in conditions. We asked (i) whether investments in immune function were affected by inter-annual variation in rainfall and (ii) whether corticosterone and prolactin, two hormones that modulate immune activity in other vertebrates, predict environmentally induced alterations in immune activity in cooperatively breeding superb starlings (Lamprotornis superbus). Superb starlings inhabit African savannas characterized by high among-year variation in rainfall, which influences their breeding life histories and hormone levels. We quantified bactericidal capacity of plasma, or bacterial killing, and prolactin and corticosterone concentrations in blood samples collected over a four year period during the dry season prior to breeding, as this is the period when reproductive roles are determined in this species and when rainfall is most variable. We found that bacterial killing was weakest in the driest year of the study, and we detected a positive relationship between bacterial killing and prolactin, but not a negative relationship with corticosterone. Together these results suggest that prolactin may mediate rainfall-induced changes in immune activity in superb starlings. This study is the first to examine relationships between prolactin and an index of constitutive, innate immunity in birds, and suggests that even species inhabiting unpredictable environments adjust their physiological priorities to environmental conditions, perhaps via prolactin.

Measurement of human luteinizing hormone in plasma by radioimmunoassay.

The recent isolation of highly purified human pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) has permitted the development of a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for this hormone in plasma. Results of this immunoassay system employing anti-LH serum agree closely with previous reports for the measurement of plasma LH in which immunoassays employing cross-reactive antisera to human chorionic gonadotropin were used. The immunoassay and bioassay of LH in several crude and partially purified pituitary and urinary extracts show acceptable agreement. The sensitivity of the LH immunoassay (0.2 mmug/ml) is adequate to measure LH levels in almost half of all prepuberal children and in all but a few normal adults. A small, but significant, rise in plasma LH level occurs at pubescence in both boys and girls. In women, plasma LH level varies with both age and the phase of the menstrual cycle. The mean LH concentration in nine normal women during the follicular phase (1.2 mmug/ml was found to be significantly higher than during the luteal phase (1.0 mmug/ml). At midcycle, the mean peak LH level was 10.2 mmug/ml. In a large group of normal women, the mean plasma LH concentration rose significantly at menopause to a level of 5.8 mmug/ml during the fifth decade and 10.5 mmug/ml during the seventh decade. A small, but significant, rise in plasma LH concentration also occurred in men from the third and fourth decades (0.7 mmug/ml to the seventh and eighth decades (1.7 mmug/ml). Both estrogen and testosterone suppress plasma LH levels, but marked variation in response exists. The immunoassay serves as a useful diagnostic tool in evaluating men with gonadal failure, amenorrheic women of reproductive age, and postmenopausal women suspected of hypopituitarism. From the half-time disappearance of LH-(131)I in plasma (mean 69 min) and the calculated volume of distribution (2.5-2.8 liters) it has been determined that approximately 30 mug of LH is secreted per day in men, and in women except at midcycle, at which time the release of LH is estimated to be 10-15 times this basal rate.

Radioimmunoassay for human follicle-stimulating hormone: physiological studies.

Most of the information concerning secretion changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in humans has been gained with relatively insensitive bioassays of concentrates of pools of urine. We have developed a sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for FSH that is 500-1000 times more sensitive than the rat ovarianweight augmentation assay and which is capable of quantifying FSH in small volumes of serum. Anti-FSH was prepared by immunizing rabbits with an impure FSH preparation. The majority of antisera showed complete inability to distinguish LH, TSH, and FSH, illustrating the immunological similarities of these hormones. One antiserum was specific when used in a radioimmunoassay. Potency estimates by bioassay were in good agreement, with a single exception, with those obtained with the radioimmunoassay for 10 FSH-containing preparations. Highly purified LH gave a higher potency by immunoassay than by bioassay. Sera from eugonadal men contained 5-25 mIU/ml; sera from castrate men contained over 30 mIU/ml. Sera from eugonadal women contained 7-25 mIU/ml during the follicular phase and 5-15 mIU/ml during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Sera from castrate or postmenopausal women contained 40-250 mIU/ml. FSH was measured throughout the menstrual cycle in 19 women. The general pattern that emerged is summarized as follows: there is a small early follicular phase rise in FSH, and then FSH is relatively constant until mid-cycle; in the majority of women a mid-cycle rise of FSH occurs coincidentally to the mid-cycle LH ovulatory peak; during the luteal phase FSH levels are relatively constant and lower than during the follicular phase. Nonsequential oral contraceptives containing estrogen and progestogen abolish these changes and FSH concentrations remain low throughout treatment. Treatment of castrate men and castrate or postmenopausal women with high doses of oral estrogens results in a fall of FSH to levels found in eugonadal men or women, but not to undetectable levels. Children less than 5 yr of age had undetectable FSH (< 5 mIU/ml).

Somatostatin is required for masculinization of growth hormone-regulated hepatic gene expression but not of somatic growth.

Pulsatile growth hormone (GH) secretion differs between males and females and regulates the sex-specific expression of cytochrome P450s in liver. Sex steroids influence the secretory dynamics of GH, but the neuroendocrine mechanisms have not been conclusively established. Because periventricular hypothalamic somatostatin (SST) expression is greater in males than in females, we generated knockout (Smst(-/-)) mice to investigate whether SST peptides are necessary for sexually differentiated GH secretion and action. Despite marked increases in nadir and median plasma GH levels in both sexes of Smst(-/-) compared with Smst(+/+) mice, the mutant mice had growth curves identical to their sibling controls and retained a normal sexual dimorphism in weight and length. In contrast, the liver of male Smst(-/-) mice was feminized, resulting in an identical profile of GH-regulated hepatic mRNAs between male and female mutants. Male Smst(-/-) mice show higher expression of two SST receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary than do females. These data indicate that SST is required to masculinize the ultradian GH rhythm by suppressing interpulse GH levels. In the absence of SST, male and female mice exhibit similarly altered plasma GH profiles that eliminate sexually dimorphic liver function but do not affect dimorphic growth.

Paternal versus maternal transmission of a stimulatory G-protein alpha subunit knockout produces opposite effects on energy metabolism.

Heterozygous disruption of Gnas, the gene encoding the stimulatory G-protein alpha subunit (G(s)alpha), leads to distinct phenotypes depending on whether the maternal (m-/+) or paternal (+/p-) allele is disrupted. G(s)alpha is imprinted, with the maternal allele preferentially expressed in adipose tissue. Hence, expression is decreased in m-/+ mice but normal in +/p- mice. M-/+ mice become obese, with increased lipid per cell in white and brown adipose tissue, whereas +/p- mice are thin, with decreased lipid in adipose tissue. These effects are not due to abnormalities in thyroid hormone status, food intake, or leptin secretion. +/p- mice are hypermetabolic at both ambient temperature (21 degrees C) and thermoneutrality (30 degrees C). In contrast, m-/+ mice are hypometabolic at ambient temperature and eumetabolic at thermoneutrality M-/+ and wild-type mice have similar dose-response curves for metabolic response to a beta(3)-adrenergic agonist, CL316243, indicating normal sensitivity of adipose tissue to sympathetic stimulation. Measurement of urinary catecholamines suggests that +/p- and m-/+ mice have increased and decreased activation of the sympathetic nervous system, respectively. This is to our knowledge the first animal model in which a single genetic defect leads to opposite effects on energy metabolism depending on parental inheritance. This probably results from deficiency of maternal- and paternal-specific Gnas gene products, respectively.

Huntingtin interacting protein 1 Is a clathrin coat binding protein required for differentiation of late spermatogenic progenitors.

Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) interacts with huntingtin, the protein whose gene is mutated in Huntington's disease. In addition, a fusion between HIP1 and platelet-derived growth factor beta receptor causes chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. The HIP1 proteins, including HIP1 and HIP1-related (HIP1r), have an N-terminal polyphosphoinositide-interacting epsin N-terminal homology, domain, which is found in proteins involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. HIP1 and HIP1r also share a central leucine zipper and an actin binding TALIN homology domain. Here we show that HIP1, like HIP1r, colocalizes with clathrin coat components. We also show that HIP1 physically associates with clathrin and AP-2, the major components of the clathrin coat. To further understand the putative biological role(s) of HIP1, we have generated a targeted deletion of murine HIP1. HIP1(-/-) mice developed into adulthood, did not develop overt neurologic symptoms in the first year of life, and had normal peripheral blood counts. However, HIP1-deficient mice exhibited testicular degeneration with increased apoptosis of postmeiotic spermatids. Postmeiotic spermatids are the only cells of the seminiferous tubules that express HIP1. These findings indicate that HIP1 is required for differentiation, proliferation, and/or survival of spermatogenic progenitors. The association of HIP1 with clathrin coats and the requirement of HIP1 for progenitor survival suggest a role for HIP1 in the regulation of endocytosis.

Pituitary-specific Gata2 knockout: effects on gonadotrope and thyrotrope function.

GATA2 is expressed in the pituitary during development and in adult gonadotropes and thyrotropes. It is proposed to be important for gonadotrope and thyrotrope cell fate choice and for TSH production. To test this idea, we produced a pituitary-specific knockout of Gata2, designed so that the DNA-binding zinc-finger region is deleted in the presence of a pituitary-specific recombinase transgene. These mice have reduced secretion of gonadotropins basally and in response to castration challenge, although the mice are fertile. GATA2 deficiency also compromises thyrotrope function. Mutants have fewer thyrotrope cells at birth, male Gata2-deficient mice exhibit growth delay from 3-9 wk of age, and adult mutants produce less TSH in response to severe hypothyroidism after radiothyroidectomy. Therefore, Gata2 appears to be dispensable for gonadotrope and thyrotrope cell fate and maintenance, but important for optimal gonadotrope and thyrotrope function. Gata2-deficient mice exhibit elevated levels of Gata3 transcripts in the pituitary gland, suggesting that GATA3 can compensate for GATA2.

Human prolactin receptors are insensitive to mouse prolactin: implications for xenotransplant modeling of human breast cancer in mice.

Experimental testing of growth, metastatic progression and drug responsiveness of human breast cancer in vivo is performed in immunodeficient mice. Drug candidates need to show promise against human breast cancer in mice before being allowed into clinical trials. Breast cancer growth is under endocrine control by ovarian steroids and the pituitary peptide hormone prolactin. While it is recognized that the most relevant biologic effects of prolactin are achieved with prolactin from the matching species, the biologic efficacy of mouse prolactin for human prolactin receptors has not been recorded. Thus, it is unclear whether the mouse endocrine environment adequately reflects the hormonal environment in breast cancer patients with regard to prolactin. We now show both recombinant and natural pituitary-derived mouse prolactin to be a poor agonist for human prolactin receptors. Mouse prolactin failed to induce human prolactin receptor-mediated biologic responses of cell clustering, proliferation, gene induction and signal transduction, including activation of Stat5, Stat3, Erk1/2 and Akt pathways. Consistent data were derived from human breast cancer lines T-47D, MCF-7 and ZR-75.1, as well as human prolactin receptor-transfected COS-7 and 32D cells. Failure of mouse prolactin to activate human prolactin receptors uncovers a key deficiency of the mouse endocrine environment for human xenotransplant studies. Since most human breast cancers express prolactin receptors, human breast cancer transferred into mice is unnaturally selected for growth in the absence of circulating prolactin. The new insight raises concerns about the validity of analyzing biology and drug responsiveness of human breast cancer in existing mouse xenotransplant models.

Preferential growth stimulation of mammary glands over uterine endometrium in female rats by a naturally occurring estradiol-17beta-fatty acid ester.

We hypothesize that the endogenously present lipoidal estrogen fatty acid esters may have a stronger mitogenic action in the fat-rich mammary tissues than in the uterus. To test this hypothesis, we compared the activity of estradiol-17beta-stearate (E(2)-17beta-S) with that of estradiol-17beta (E(2)) in stimulating the growth of mammary glandular cells versus the growth of uterine endometrial cells in ovariectomized female Sprague Dawley rats. Experimentally, an estimated 0.5 or 5 nmol of E(2)-17beta-S or E(2) was released daily to ovariectomized female rats through an Alzet pump implanted under the back skin of the animal for 10 or 23 days. The growth-stimulatory effect of E(2)-17beta-S and E(2) on mammary glandular cells was determined according to 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling indices, and their effect on the uterus was determined by measuring both the 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling index and the uterine wet weight. Our results showed that chronic treatment of ovariectomized female rats with 0.5 or 5 nmol/day E(2)-17beta-S for 10 or 23 days had a stronger stimulatory effect on mammary glandular cell proliferation than treatment with equimolar doses of E(2). In the uterus, however, E(2) was more active in stimulating the proliferation of uterine endometrial cells than E(2)-17beta-S at equimolar doses. Our results demonstrated, for the first time, that a naturally occurring estradiol-17beta-fatty acid ester has a differential, strong mitogenic effect in the fat-rich mammary tissues, and this effect was not observed with E(2). It is tempting to suggest that the fatty acid esters of the endogenous estrogens and their bioactive metabolites (e.g., 4-hydroxyestradiol and 16alpha-hydroxyestrone) may be of unique importance for stimulating cell growth and possibly also for inducing tumor formation in the fat-rich mammary tissues as compared with the uterus. More studies are warranted to test these ideas.

The human ARHI tumor suppressor gene inhibits lactation and growth in transgenic mice.

ARHI is a novel imprinted tumor suppressor gene. To study its function in vivo, we have developed transgenic mice that overexpress ARHI. Offspring bearing the transgene had significantly lower body weights than did nontransgenic littermates. In addition, strong expression of the ARHI transgene was associated with greatly impaired mammary gland development and lactation, failure of ovarian folliculogenesis resulting in decreased fertility, loss of neurons in the cerebellar cortex, and impaired development of the thymus. Decrease in body size and defects in the mammary glands correlated with the level of transgene expression. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that expression of prolactin (PRL), but not growth hormone, was lower in the pituitary glands of mice with defective mammary gland development. The defect in pregnancy-associated mammary tissue proliferation was associated with decreased serum PRL and progesterone levels. Moreover, lower levels of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were observed in postpartum mammary glands and in the ovaries of mice that overexpressed ARHI. Our data suggest that ARHI can inhibit PRL secretion and act as a negative regulator in murine growth and development.

Overexpression of the HMGA2 gene in transgenic mice leads to the onset of pituitary adenomas.

Overexpression of the HMGA2 gene is a common feature of neoplastic cells both in experimental and human models. Intragenic and extragenic HMGA2 rearrangements responsible for HMGA2 gene overexpression have been frequently detected in human benign tumours of mesenchymal origin. To better understand the role of HMGA2 overexpression in human tumorigenesis, we have generated transgenic mice carrying the HMGA2 gene under the transcriptional control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. High expression of the transgene was demonstrated in all the mouse tissues analysed, whereas no expression of the endogenous HMGA2 gene was detected in the same tissues from wild-type mice. In this study, two independent lines of transgenic mice have been generated. By 6 months of age, 85% of female animals of both transgenic lines developed pituitary adenomas secreting prolactin and growth hormone. The transgenic males developed the same phenotype with a lower penetrance (40%) and a longer latency period (about 18 months). Therefore, these data demonstrate that the overexpression of HMGA2 leads to the onset of mixed growth hormone/prolactin cell pituitary adenomas. These transgenic mice may represent an important tool for the study of this kind of neoplasia.

Pituitary cotransplantation significantly improves the performance, insulin content, and vascularization of renal subcapsular islet grafts.

Because the pituitary contains hormones with beta-cell trophic activity, we evaluated whether cotransplantation of pituitary tissue with pancreatic islets might be beneficial for islet graft function and survival. Streptozotocin diabetic nude mice were transplanted under the kidney capsule with 150 handpicked islets alone or mixed with two diced pituitaries and were then followed for 4 weeks. Mice transplanted with mixed islet/pituitary grafts had higher levels of circulating prolactin (PRL) than mice transplanted with islets only, while serum cortisol, growth hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone were similar in the two groups. After transplantation, recipients of mixed islet/pituitary grafts showed a more pronounced decrease in glycemic levels and higher systemic insulin levels than mice transplanted only with islets. Mixed islet/pituitary grafts were macroscopically characterized by an excellent vascularization and were biochemically characterized by higher insulin and PRL content than pure islet grafts. Histologically, posttransplantation remodeling originated a hybrid organ in which healthy, well-vascularized islets were adjacent to pituitary cell clusters. Transplantations performed to address the specific effect of the anterior versus the intermediate pituitary lobes indicated the former as responsible for the improved function of cotransplanted islets. Mixed islet/pituitary grafts composed of anterior lobes were also the best vascularized and were histologically characterized by the presence of many folliculo-stellate cells. In conclusion, we obtained evidence that pituitary cotransplantation significantly improves the function, insulin content, and vascularization of suboptimal islet grafts. Evidence suggesting that ectopically produced PRL and/or locally released angiogenic peptides might play a causal role is provided.

Stimulation of glucose production through hormone secretion and other mechanisms during insulin-induced hypoglycemia.

To assess the role of counterregulatory hormones per se in the response to continuous insulin infusion, overnight-fasted dogs were given 5 mU.kg-1.min-1 insulin intraportally either alone (INS, n = 5), with glucose to maintain euglycemia (INS + GLU, n = 5), or with glucose and hormone replacement [i.e., glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol infusions (INS + GLU + HR, n = 6)]. The increases in counterregulatory hormones that occurred during insulin-induced hypoglycemia were simulated in the latter group. In this way, it was possible to separate the effects of hypoglycemia per se from those due to the associated counterregulatory hormone response. Glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis were measured with a combination of tracer ([ 3-3H]glucose and [U-14C]alanine) and hepatic arteriovenous (AV) difference techniques during a 40-min control and a 180-min experimental period. Insulin levels increased similarly in all groups (to congruent to 250 microU/ml), whereas plasma glucose levels decreased in INS (115 +/- 3 to 41 +/- 3 mg/dl; P less than .05) and rose slightly in both INS + GLU (108 +/- 2 to 115 +/- 4 mg/dl; P less than .05) and INS + GLU + HR (111 +/- 3 to 120 +/- 3 mg/dl; P less than .05) due to glucose infusion. Glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol were replaced in INS + GLU + HR so that the increments in their levels were 102 +/- 6, 106 +/- 14, 117 +/- 9, and 124 +/- 37%, respectively, of their increments in INS. At no time was there a significant difference between the hormone levels in INS and INS + GLU + HR. The rise in the counterregulatory hormones per se accounted for only half (53 +/- 9% by the AV difference method and 54 +/- 10% by tracer method) of the glucose production associated with hypoglycemia resulting from insulin infusion. The rate and efficiency of alanine conversion to glucose in the hormone-replacement studies were only 29 +/- 10 and 50 +/- 27% of what occurred during hypoglycemia induced by insulin infusion. In conclusion, the counterregulatory hormones alone (i.e., without accompanying hypoglycemia) can account for only 50% of the glucose production that is present during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. The remaining 50%, therefore, must result from effects of hypoglycemia other than its ability to trigger hormone release.