Castration effects on the response of rat pituitary cells to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone: retention in dispersed cell culture.

Abstract

Dispersed cell cultures are becoming more frequently used for the study of the anterior pituitary response to the physiological secretagogue, LHRH. A systematic comparison of the LHRH-induced LH and FSH release response of dispersed pituitary cells from intact and castrated adult rats of both sexes has thus far not been reported. Sixty-day-old Holtzman rats of both sexes (normal and 1-week castrated) were used as donors for anterior pituitary cell cultures. The cells were dispersed by trypsinization and established in monolayer culture in a medium composed of Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium containing fetal calf serum, horse serum, and antibiotics. The cells exhibited high levels of basal gonadotropin release during the first 24 h in culture. By day 3, basal release had diminished to a low and stable level which became undetectable by day 35. Initially, the cells manifested a loss of LHRH response capability which was regained by day 3. Dispersed pituitary cell cultures from normal male rats indicated ...