[Evaluation of a technic for the isolation of mammotropic cells using dopamine as a ligand]

Pituitary cell suspension from female Wistar rats were allowed to enter the 6MB sepharose gel with added dopamine, which acts ligand attaching the mammotrophs to the gel grains. After eluting the column with 3 different dopamine buffer concentration, 3 different cellular fractions were obtained. Fraction F1 contains 5% of mammotroph cells, fraction F2 2-4% and fraction F3 90%, as determined by immunocytochemistry. The absolute amount of mammotroph cells contained in F3 fraction increases by gradually warming up the column from room temperature to 37 degrees C. The eluted F3 fraction mammotroph cells from female lactating rats is observed to be twice the amount eluted in experiments performed with virgin rats. No ultrastructural differences between fraction F1 and fraction F3 mammotroph cells have been found.