Role of calcium on TPA-induced secretion of ACTH and PGE2 by pituitary cells: effect of dexamethasone.

In pituitary cells in primary culture, ACTH and PGE2 secretions can be simultaneously stimulated by TPA, in the presence of Ca2+. However, whilst PGE2 secretion is under an absolute requirement for Ca2+, ACTH secretion is not. Both secretions are inhibited by dexamethasone but to various extents: PGE2 release is abolished in the presence of dexamethasone whilst only 35% of the TPA-induced ACTH release is sensitive to dexamethasone. Similar inhibitory effects are observed with mepacrine, a PLA2-inhibitor, suggesting that PLA2-activation could be related to these secretory process. Since PLA2-inhibition by dexamethasone is claimed to be mediated via lipocortin, these results suggest that a lipocortin-like protein is present in pituitary cells and could be involved in the TPA-induced secretions of PGE2 and ACTH.