Effect of hypophysectomy and growth hormone replacement on hypothalamic growth hormone-releasing factor messenger...

Abstract The mechanisms by which the pituitary gland, and growth hormone (GH) in particular, affect growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) gene expression have been addressed using the technique of in situ hybridization. Anatomically matched sections through the mediobasal hypothalamus of control and hypophysectomized male rats, with or without GH hormone replacement, were analysed to obtain information on GRF mRNA levels within the arcuate nucleus and around the ventromedial hypothalamus. Hypophysectomy resulted in a 70% increase in the amount of GRF mRNA per cell (P<0.001), within neurons in the arcuate nucleus. GH replacement and T4 replacement separately partially attenuated this increase (GH replacement P< 0.001 versus hypophysectomy, T4 replacement P<0.05 versus hypophysectomy). Additionally, after hypophysectomy there was an 80% increase in the number of cells expressing the GRF gene in neurons around the ventromedial hypothalamus, when compared to shamoperated controls (P<0.01). Both GH and T4 replacement separately partially attenuated this phenomenon (P<0.01 versus hypophysectomized animals). Hypothyroidism alone did not affect GRF mRNA levels in either the arcuate nucleus or in the area surrounding the ventromedial hypothalamus. These results show that hypophysectomy increases GRF mRNA levels in two separate ways: by increasing the amount of mRNA produced per cell within the arcuate nucleus, and by increasing the number of cells expressing the gene in the area surrounding the ventromedial hypothalamus. This increase in the number of GRF mRNA-containing cells after hypophysectomy could result from the recruitment of neurons which previously did not express the GRF gene, and may reflect the plasticity of the adult central nervous system in response to a changing endocrine environment. This could represent part of a sensor mechanism to drive the production of GRF in the arcuate nucleus in response to extreme disruption of the GRF/ GH feedback loop.