Identification and functional analysis of folliculostellate cell-produced humoral factors in the anterior pituitary gland

脑下垂体前叶分泌六种荷尔蒙，对控制生长、繁殖和内环境平衡至关重要。已知腺体中也存在一种不产生激素的细胞，即滤泡星状细胞。本研究旨在阐明垂体腺前叶中滤泡星状细胞的功能。用荧光激活细胞分选法从绿色荧光蛋白转基因大鼠体内分离纯化出卵泡星状细胞，并鉴定了大量在细胞中特异表达的基因。然后用组织学方法鉴定毛囊星状细胞中的特异性生长因子。这些分子可能在调节脑下垂体前叶激素分泌细胞方面发挥重要作用。

The anterior pituitary gland produces six types of hormones, which are crucial to control growth, reproduction, and homeostasis. A non-hormone-producing cell, folliculostellate cell, is also known to exist in the gland. The purpose of this study is to clarify the function of folliculostellate cell in the anterior pituitary gland. Folliculostellate cells were purified by fluorescence activated cell sorting from the green fluorescent protein-transgenic rats and numerous genes that were specifically expressed in the cells were identified. And then, specific growth factors were identified in folliculostellate cells by means of histological technique. These molecules may play important roles in the regulation of hormone-producing cells in the anterior pituitary gland.