Cell swelling-induced peptide hormone secretion.

Cell volume changes induced in various ways (anisosmotic environment, hormones, oxidative stress, substrate uptake) are an integral part of a signal transduction network regulating cell function. Cell swelling has received increasing attention as a stimulus for a variety of intracellular phenomena. One of the most remarkable effects of cell swelling is its powerful effect in inducing exocytosis of material in intracellular secretory vesicles.

Expression and potential role of fibroblast growth factor 2 and its receptors in human embryonic stem cells.

Although the detection of several components of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has been reported, the functionality of that pathway and effects on cell fate decisions are yet to be established. In this study we characterized expression of FGF-2, the prototypic member of the FGF family, and its receptors (FGFRs) in undifferentiated and differentiating hESCs; subsequently, we analyzed the effects of FGF-2 on hESCs, acting as both exogenous and endogenous factors. We have determined that undifferentiated hESCs are abundant in several molecular-mass isoforms of FGF-2 and that expression pattern of these isoforms remains unchanged under conditions that induce hESC differentiation.

A role of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in insulin secretion by isolated rat pancreatic islets.

Unlabelled: Insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells also express thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH). Although the physiological role of TRH in this localization is unclear, its participation in glucoregulation has been implied. To test this hypothesis, we blocked the last step of post-translational maturation of the TRH molecule by disulfiram, which is an active inhibitor of peptide alpha-amidation (PAM) within pancreatic islet cells.

Cell volume induced hormone secretion: studies on signal transduction and specificity.

Unlabelled: Cell swelling causes an immediate secretory response in various cell types. Induced secretion possesses some unique features suggesting the involvement of a specific signal transduction pathway. The effect of 10-20 microM GdCl3, 100 microM HgCl2, 1-100 microM indomethacin and 1-20 microM nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) on cell swelling-induced hormone secretion (isosmotic 80 mM ethanol or 15-30% hyposmotic medium) from incubated rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and posterior pituitary (oxytocin and TRH), isolated pancreatic islets (TRH) and perifused anterior pituitary cells (prolactin) were examined.