Thyrotropin-releasing hormone gene expression in cultured anterior pituitary cells: role of gender.

The present studies were undertaken to investigate the effect of gender on thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) gene expression in cultured anterior pituitary (AP) cells. AP cells derived from 15-day-old male, female, or female pups that had been neonatally treated with testosterone propionate (TP), were cultured for up to 18 days in a modified DMEM/L-15 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum. TRH and AP hormones including GH, prolactin (PRL), luteinizing hormone (LH) and thyrotropin (TSH) were measured by RIA, proTRH mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization using a full-length riboprobe followed by quantification with a computer-assisted image analysis system. Cultures derived from female rats contained significantly (p