Growth Hormone and Prolactin Production in Human Pituitary Tumours in Organ Culture

Abstract

Human pituitary adenomas, when preserved as organ cultures do not lose their function of synthesizing and releasing hormone. Thus, growth hormone producing adenomas have been cultured for 35 days and prolactinomas for 14 days with maintained hormone hypersecretion, > 30 000 pmol/l/48 h of growth hormone and > 15 000 μg/1/48 h of prolactin. Preserved morphology/ ultrastructure was documented in these specimens. Following repeated renewal of the entire nutrient solution, less than 1/10 of the initial hormone content remained after the first change, indicating an active hormone productionlrelease into the culture medium as hormone concentration rose to previous levels. The growth hormone producing cells could be stimulated by TRH and LH-RH in the concentrations 10⁻-⁸ and 10⁻-⁷ g/1 respectively, indicating the same pathological reactivity in vitro as in vivo. Prolactin synthesis in vitro paralleled that in vivo, as reflected by serum prolactin levels. Growth hormone synthesis in vitro paralleled the clinical activity of the disease, but the plasma hormone levels in patients with acromegaly did not do so.