Galanin in pituitary adenomas

Eva Grenbäck, Per Bjellerup, Ella Wallerman, Lars Lundblad, Anders Änggård, Kaj Ericson, Katarina Åman, Marc Landry, Wolfgang E. Schmidt, Tomas Hökfelt, Anna-Lena Hulting
Regulatory Peptides. 2004-02-01; 117(2): 127-139
DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2003.10.022

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1. Regul Pept. 2004 Feb 15;117(2):127-39.

Galanin in pituitary adenomas.

Grenbäck E(1), Bjellerup P, Wallerman E, Lundblad L, Anggård A, Ericson K, Aman
K, Landry M, Schmidt WE, Hökfelt T, Hulting AL.

Author information:
(1)Department of Molecular Medicine, Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, Karolinska
Hospital, S-17176 Stockholm, Sweden.

Tumor galanin content was measured in extracts from human pituitary adenomas
using a specific RIA method for monitoring human galanin. Twenty-two out of
twenty-four tumors contained galanin with notably high levels in corticotroph
adenomas, varying levels in clinically inactive tumors, and low levels in GH
secreting adenomas. Tumor galanin and ACTH contents were closely correlated in
all tumors. In four young patients with microadenomas and highly active Mb
Cushing tumor galanin was inversely related to tumor volume. The molecular form
of tumor galanin, studied with reverse-phase HPLC, was homogeneous with the
majority of tumor galanin coeluting with standard human galanin. In the tumors
analysed with in situ hybridization there was a good correlation between galanin
peptide levels and galanin mRNA expression. In some tumors galanin mRNA and POMC
levels coexisted, in others they were essentially in different cell populations.
Levels of plasma galanin-LI were not related to tumor galanin concentration, and
galanin levels were in the same range in sinus petrosus close to the pituitary
venous drainage as in peripheral blood. Corticotrophin releasing hormone
injections in two patients caused ACTH, but no detectable galanin release into
sinus petrosus. Our results demonstrate that corticotroph, but not GH adenomas,
express high levels of galanin, in addition to ACTH, and that in some tumors both
polypeptides are synthesised in the same cell population. However, galanin levels
in plasma were not influenced by the tumor galanin content.

DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2003.10.022
PMID: 14700749 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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