Cytological differences in the localization of glucocorticoid receptor-like immunoreactivity in the normal and transplanted pituitary pars intermedia

Abstract

Glucocorticoid receptor-like immunoreactivity (GCRI) was found in the normal pituitary pars intermedia (PI) when immunohistochemistry was used. Since in previous studies we described two kinds of cells in the denervated (grafted) PI, i.e., "light cells" (overactive cells which do not contain detectable melanocytestimulating hormone) and "dark cells" (hypoactive cells which contain the hormone), it was decided to investigate whether different patterns of distribution of the receptors could be detected in the glared gland when compared with the intact PI. Intact glands showed the receptors located in the nucleus. In transplanted glands, it was observed that light cells showed receptors in both the nuclei and the cytoplasm; on the other hand, dark cells displayed them in the nuclei only, as is the case in all cells of the normal PI. We had previously interpreted dark cells as dopamine-indifferent whereas light cells were considered dopamine-sensitive. The changes in the distribution of GCR after denervation by grafting, which only affected the light cells, support the view of other authors that GCR of the pars intermedia are under the influence of dopamine and reinforce our opinion that dark cells are dopamine-indifferent.