Open AccessEstradiol and calcium affect the growth hormone producing cells in female middle-aged rats
Author(s) -
L Milosevic Verica,
Svetlana Trifunović,
T Sosic-Jurjevic Branka,
Bujsic Nada,
I Sekulic Milka
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
acta veterinaria
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.308
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1820-7448
pISSN - 0567-8315
DOI - 10.2298/avb0503111m
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , calcium , somatotropic cell , hormone , growth hormone , chemistry , biology
The effects of multiple doses of estradiol dipropionate (EDP) or calcium glucoheptonate (Ca) on the growth and function of pituitary somatotropes (GH cells) were studied. Female middle-aged rats were receiving i.p. EDP (0.625 mg i.p./kg b.w), or Ca (11.4 mg/kg b.w) every day for two weeks. Blood samples were collected for hormone analyses and pituitaries dissected for histological and morphometric evaluation 24 h after the last injection. GH-producing cells were examined using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) immuno-histochemical procedure. Both EDP- and Ca-treatment significantly decreased all morphometric parameters of GH cells (p<0.05) in comparison with the corresponding controls. Serum concentration of growth hormone (GH) in EDP- or Ca-treated groups was lower by 65% and 13% (p<0.05) respectively comparing to the controls. The difference between all morphometric parameters of EDP- and Ca-treated rats was statistically significant (p<0.05) in relation to the controls. These findings suggest that multiple EDP, or Ca application affects (directly or indirectly) the control of growth and secretory activity of GH cells in middle-aged female rats