Evidence that GYKI 52466, a novel non-NMDA antagonist enhances the decay of kainate-induced current in cultured chicken cortical neurons.

The effect of a novel non-competitive non-NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, GYKI 52466 was studied on the glutamate agonist-induced currents in one month old cultured embryonal chicken brain neurons by a whole cell patch-clamp technique. AMPA, applied in different concentrations (30-1000 microM) did not evoke any current. Kainate evoked an increase of steady-state current (KA-current).

Pathological and experimental investigations in a case of gigantism.

A pituitary adenoma was transsphenoidally removed from a 4.5-year-old girl suffering from gigantism. Prior to the operation both the growth hormone (GH) and the prolactin (PRL) levels in the serum were elevated.

Influence of oligopeptide aldehydes on intracellular Ca2+ concentration in rat pituitary cells.

We investigated the effects of some synthetic tripeptide aldehydes, earlier shown to influence pituitary hormone secretion and 45Ca2+ uptake, on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of rat anterior pituitary cells in suspension. Boc-D-Phe-Leu-Phenylalaninal or Boc-D-Phe-Leu-Prolinal in the tested range of 1-100 or 200 microM, respectively, were ineffective in influencing basal [Ca2+]i but caused a concentration-dependent inhibition in K+ (25 mM)-induced [Ca2+]i elevation. The IC50 of both effects was about 50 microM.

Morphological and functional characterization of cell cultures from adult human adenohypophyses.

Parallel primary cultures have been prepared from dispersed cells of adult human pituitary anterior lobes and can be used as a model system for cell-biological studies. The cultured cells were able to secrete all the known hormones of the adenohypophysis. Bromocriptine administration markedly reduced prolactin release into the medium while slightly enhanced growth hormone release.