Role of thyrotropin-releasing hormone in prolactin-producing cell models

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) is a hypothalamic hypophysiotropic neuropeptide that was named for its ability to stimulate the release of thyroid-stimulating hormone in mammals. It later became apparent that it exerts a number of species-dependent hypophysiotropic activities that regulate other pituitary hormones. TRH also regulates the synthesis and release of prolactin, although whether it is a physiological regulator of prolactin that remains unclear. Occupation of the Gq protein-coupled TRH receptor in the prolactin-producing lactotroph increases the turnover of inositol, which in turn activates the protein kinase C pathway and the release of Ca(2+) from storage sites. TRH-induced signaling events also include the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and induction of MAP kinase phosphatase, an inactivator of activated ERK. TRH stimulates prolactin synthesis through the activation of ERK, whereas prolactin release occurs via elevation of intracellular Ca(2+). We have been investigating the role of TRH in a pituitary prolactin-producing cell model. Rat pituitary somatolactotroph GH3 cells, which produce and release both prolactin and growth hormone (GH), are widely used as a model for the study of prolactin- and GH-secreting cells. In this review, we describe the general action of TRH as a hypophysiotropic factor in vertebrates and focus on the role of TRH in prolactin synthesis using GH3 cells.