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An Insight to Pituitary Folliculo‐Stellate Cells
Author(s) -
Devnath S.,
Inoue K.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.062
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1365-2826
pISSN - 0953-8194
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01716.x
Subject(s) - paracrine signalling , hepatic stellate cell , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , cell type , autocrine signalling , enteroendocrine cell , growth factor , leukemia inhibitory factor , medicine , stem cell , endocrinology , endocrine system , cell , cell culture , cytokine , immunology , hormone , interleukin 6 , receptor , biochemistry , genetics
Folliculo‐stellate cells (FS‐cells) are star‐shaped and follicle‐forming cells in the anterior pituitary gland that were first identified by electron microscopy as non‐endocrine agranular cells. Light microscopy has revealed many of their cytophysiological features and the FS‐cell is known to be positive for S‐100 protein, a marker for FS‐cells. So far, functions ascribed to FS‐cells include the formation of an extensive and complex tridimentional network, scavenger activity by engulfing degenerated cells, paracrine regulation of endocrine cells by producing various growth factors and cytokines, such as interleukin‐6, leukemia inhibitory factor, basic fibroblastic growth factor, vascular endothelial cell growth factor and follistatin, and large‐scale inter‐cellular communication by means of their long cytoplasmic processes and gap junctions. Moreover, their multi‐potential characteristics and other cytological features support the possibility of them becoming organ‐specific stem cells. This concept is yet to be resolved, however. In this review, we focus on these features of FS‐cells along with some futuristic approaches.