Relationship between nitric oxide- and calcium-dependent signal transduction pathways in growth hormone release from dispersed goldfish pituitary cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) and Ca(2+) are two of the many intracellular signal transduction pathways mediating the control of growth hormone (GH) secretion from somatotropes by neuroendocrine factors. We have previously shown that the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) elicits Ca(2+) signals in identified goldfish somatotropes. In this study, we examined the relationships between NO- and Ca(2+)-dependent signal transduction mechanisms in GH secretion from primary cultures of dispersed goldfish pituitary cells.

PACAP stimulation of maturational gonadotropin secretion in goldfish involves extracellular signal-regulated kinase, but not nitric oxide or guanylate cyclase, signaling.

In goldfish, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity is present in gonadotropes and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) mediates GnRH stimulation of gonadotropin release and synthesis. In this study, we tested the possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and ERK in mediating PACAP-stimulated maturational gonadotropin (GTH-II) release from primary cultures of dispersed goldfish pituitary cells. In static incubation experiments, PACAP-induced GTH-II release was unaffected by two inhibitors of NOS synthase, AGH and 1400W; whereas addition of a NO donor, SNAP, elevated GTH-II secretion.

Signal transduction in multifactorial neuroendocrine control of gonadotropin secretion and synthesis in teleosts-studies on the goldfish model.

In teleosts, gonadotropin (GTH) secretion and synthesis is controlled by multiple neuroendocrine factors from the hypothalamus, pituitary and peripheral sources. Pituitary gonadotropes must be able to differentiate and integrate information from these regulators at the cellular and intracellular level. In this article, the intracellular signal transduction mechanisms mediating the actions of some of these regulators, including GTH-releasing hormones, pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, dopamine, ghrelin, sex steroids, activin, and follistatin from experiments with goldfish are reviewed and discussed in relation with recent findings.