In situ hybridization histochemistry of mRNAs for hormones and chromogranins in normal pituitary tissue and pituitary adenoma

Abstract

In situ hybridization histochemistry was employed to detect mRNAs of pituitary hormones and chromogranins in normal pituitary gland and pituitary adenomas. Oligonucleotide probes specific to the mRNAs for prolactin, growth hormone, proopiomelanocortin, the alpha- and beta-subunits of the glycoprotein hormones and chromogranins A and B were used in the hybridization experiments. The oligonucleotides of 27 to 51 bases were labelled radioactively with dATP[alpha-35S] at the 3'-end using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase. Positive hybridization reactions were visualized by autoradiography in the normal pituitary gland with all of the probes. The clinically diagnosed pituitary adenomas (prolactinoma, acromegaly, Cushing's disease, FSH-secreting tumour) showed positive hybridization with the corresponding oligonucleotide probes. In some cases positive hybridization was also obtained with other probes, suggesting multihormone-producing character of the tumour cells. A microprolactinoma was found in a pituitary gland obtained from a patient without any known pituitary disorders. Examination of mRNAs for chromogranin A and B revealed that the normal pituitary gland contains a larger number of cells expressing chromogranin B and a lower number expressing chromogranin A and, moreover, the microprolactinoma lacked the expression of mRNA for chromogranin A but expressed that of chromogranin B.