There is increasing evidence that hormones play an important role in the control of endothelial cell function and growth by regulating the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). VEGF regulates vascular permeability and represents the most powerful growth factor for endothelial cells. In the normal anterior pituitary, VEGF has been detected only in folliculostellate (FS) cells. In the present study, the regulation of the release of VEGF from FS-like mouse TtT/GF cells, and from FS cells of rat pituitary monolayer cell cultures was investigated using a specific VEGF ELISA. Basal release of VEGF was demonstrated in cultures of both TtT/GF cells and rat pituitary cells. Interestingly, the VEGF secretion was stimulated by both forms of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP-38 and PACAP-27), indicating that this hypothalamic peptide regulates endothelial cell function and growth within the pituitary. VEGF secretion was also stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) whereas basal, IL-6- and PACAP-stimulated secretion was inhibited by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. The inhibitory action of dexamethasone was reversed by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486, suggesting that in FS cells functional glucocorticoid receptors mediate the inhibitory action of glucocorticoids on the VEGF secretion. The endocrine and auto-/paracrine control of VEGF production in pituitary FS cells by PACAP, IL-6 and glucocorticoids may play an important role both in angiogenesis and vascular permeability regulation within the pituitary under physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Wu and E. H. Bresnick Glucocorticoid and Growth Factor Synergism Requirement for Notch4 Chromatin Domain Activation Mol. Cell. Biol., March 15, 2007; 27(6): 2411 - 2422. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Onofri, M. Theodoropoulou, M. Losa, E. Uhl, M. Lange, E. Arzt, G. K Stalla, and U. Renner Localization of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors in normal and adenomatous pituitaries: detection of a non-endothelial function of VEGF in pituitary tumours. J. Endocrinol., October 1, 2006; 191(1): 249 - 261. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M.-E. Fortin, R.-M. Pelletier, M.-A. Meilleur, and M. L. Vitale Modulation of GJA1 Turnover and Intercellular Communication by Proinflammatory Cytokines in the Anterior Pituitary Folliculostellate Cell Line TtT/GF Biol Reprod, January 1, 2006; 74(1): 2 - 12. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Cristina, G. Diaz-Torga, A. Baldi, A. Gongora, M. Rubinstein, M. J. Low, and D. Becu-Villalobos Increased Pituitary Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A in Dopaminergic D2 Receptor Knockout Female Mice Endocrinology, July 1, 2005; 146(7): 2952 - 2962. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S A Borg, K E Kerry, J A Royds, R D Battersby, and T H Jones Correlation of VEGF production with IL1{alpha} and IL6 secretion by human pituitary adenoma cells Eur. J. Endocrinol., February 1, 2005; 152(2): 293 - 300. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Vannay, A. Fekete, C. Adori, T. Toth, G. Losonczy, L. Laszlo, B. Vasarhelyi, T. Tulassay, and A. Szabo Divergence of renal vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA expression and protein level in post-ischaemic rat kidneys Exp Physiol, July 1, 2004; 89(4): 435 - 444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Oomizu, K. Chaturvedi, and D. K. Sarkar Folliculostellate Cells Determine the Susceptibility of Lactotropes to Estradiol's Mitogenic Action Endocrinology, March 1, 2004; 145(3): 1473 - 1480. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Vlotides, K. Zitzmann, S. Hengge, D. Engelhardt, G. K. Stalla, and C. J. Auernhammer Expression of Novel Neurotrophin-1/B-Cell Stimulating Factor-3 (NNT-1/BSF-3) in Murine Pituitary Folliculostellate TtT/GF Cells: Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide and Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide-Induced Stimulation of NNT-1/BSF-3 Is Mediated by Protein Kinase A, Protein Kinase C, and Extracellular-Signal-Regulated Kinase1/2 Pathways Endocrinology, February 1, 2004; 145(2): 716 - 727. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. E. Turner, A. L. Harris, S. Melmed, and J. A. H. Wass Angiogenesis in Endocrine Tumors Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2003; 24(5): 600 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. P. Castro, D. Giacomini, A. C. Nagashima, C. Onofri, M. Graciarena, K. Kobayashi, M. Paez-Pereda, U. Renner, G. K. Stalla, and E. Arzt Reduced Expression of the Cytokine Transducer gp130 Inhibits Hormone Secretion, Cell Growth, and Tumor Development of Pituitary Lactosomatotrophic GH3 Cells Endocrinology, February 1, 2003; 144(2): 693 - 700. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. M. Bilezikjian, A. M. O. Leal, A. L. Blount, A. Z. Corrigan, A. V. Turnbull, and W. W. Vale Rat Anterior Pituitary Folliculostellate Cells Are Targets of Interleukin-1{beta} and a Major Source of Intrapituitary Follistatin Endocrinology, February 1, 2003; 144(2): 732 - 740. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Renner, P. Lohrer, L. Schaaf, M. Feirer, K. Schmitt, C. Onofri, E. Arzt, and G. K. Stalla Transforming Growth Factor-{beta} Stimulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Production by Folliculostellate Pituitary Cells Endocrinology, October 1, 2002; 143(10): 3759 - 3765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Dantz, J. Bewersdorf, B. Fruehwald-Schultes, W. Kern, W. Jelkmann, J. Born, H. L. Fehm, and A. Peters Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: A Novel Endocrine Defensive Response to Hypoglycemia J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2002; 87(2): 835 - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. Kiriyama, H. Tsuchiya, T. Murakami, K. Satoh, and Y. Tokumitsu Calcitonin Induces IL-6 Production via Both PKA and PKC Pathways in the Pituitary Folliculo-Stellate Cell Line Endocrinology, August 1, 2001; 142(8): 3563 - 3569. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. Pagotto, G. Marsicano, F. Fezza, M. Theodoropoulou, Y. Grubler, J. Stalla, T. Arzberger, A. Milone, M. Losa, V. Di Marzo, et al. Normal Human Pituitary Gland and Pituitary Adenomas Express Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 and Synthesize Endogenous Cannabinoids: First Evidence for a Direct Role of Cannabinoids on Hormone Modulation at the Human Pituitary Level J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2001; 86(6): 2687 - 2696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Lohrer, J. Gloddek, A. C. Nagashima, Z. Korali, U. Hopfner, M. P. Pereda, E. Arzt, G. K. Stalla, and U. Renner Lipopolysaccharide Directly Stimulates the Intrapituitary Interleukin-6 Production by Folliculostellate Cells via Specific Receptors and the p38{{alpha}} Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase/Nuclear Factor-{{kappa}}B Pathway Endocrinology, December 1, 2000; 141(12): 4457 - 4465. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Vaudry, B. J. Gonzalez, M. Basille, L. Yon, A. Fournier, and H. Vaudry Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide and Its Receptors: From Structure to Functions Pharmacol. Rev., June 1, 2000; 52(2): 269 - 324. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. P. Castro, A. C. Nagashima, M. P. Pereda, V. Goldberg, A. Chervin, P. Largen, U. Renner, G. K. Stalla, and E. Arzt The gp130 Cytokines Interleukin-11 and Ciliary Neurotropic Factor Regulate through Specific Receptors the Function and Growth of Lactosomatotropic and Folliculostellate Pituitary Cell Lines Endocrinology, May 1, 2000; 141(5): 1746 - 1753. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]