RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Changes in expression of hypothalamic releasing hormone receptors in individual rat anterior pituitary cells during maturation, puberty and senescence A1 Senovilla González, Laura A1 García-Sancho Martín, Francisco Javier A1 Villalobos Jorge, Carlos K1 Anterior pituitary gland K1 Glándula pituitaria anterior K1 Hormone receptors K1 Receptores hormonales AB Anterior pituitary (AP) is formed by five different cell types, each one producing a different AP hormone whose secretion is regulated by a specific hypothalamic-releasing hormone (HRH). On the other hand, a significant number of AP cells express multiple HRH receptors (multiresponsive cells). Plastic changes in expression of HRH receptors in individual AP cells are involved in critical endocrine events. Here we have characterized the changes in functional responses to CRH, LHRH, TRH, and GHRH in individual AP cells throughout the whole life span of the rat. To this end, calcium responses to the HRHs were followed by single-cell imaging in freshly dispersed AP cells prepared from rats of different ages (0–540 postnatal days). Three different cell pools were identified: 1) monoresponsive cells, holding a single class of HRH receptor; 2) multiresponsive cells; and 3) nonresponsive cells. The relative abundance of each pool changed with age. Nonresponsive cells were abundant at birth, multiresponsive cells were abundant at puberty, and monoresponsive cells dominated at senescence. The relative abundance of each HRH receptor changed largely with age but not gender. In addition, the contribution of monoresponsive and multiresponsive cells to responses to each HRH changed very much with age. Thus, the anterior pituitary shows large changes in cell populations typed by functional responses to HRHs during maturation, puberty, and senescence. PB Oxford University Press SN 1945-7170 YR 2005 FD 2005 LK http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/45026 UL http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/45026 LA eng NO Endocrinology, 2005, vol. 146, n. 11. p. 4627-4634 NO Producción Científica DS UVaDOC RD 25-nov-2024