Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Healthy Brain-pituitary Slices for Electrophysiological Investigations of Pituitary Cells in Teleost Fish
Published on: August 16, 2018
Caffeine stimulates growth hormone secretion by cultured rat pituitary cells
Abstract:
To study the effect of caffeine on growth hormone secretion a culture system of dispersed rat anterior pituitary cells was employed. The cells were incubated overnight in medium 199 containing 10(-5) to 10(-1) M caffeine. The medium was then collected and assayed for rat growth hormone content. A dose dependent stimulatory effect of caffeine on growth hormone secretion into the culture medium was observed. It is concluded that caffeine, like other xanthine phosphodiesterase inhibitors stimulates growth hormone secretion by a direct effect on pituitary cells.
Related Concept Videos
Nature and Nurture
GPCRs Regulate Adenylyl Cylase Activity
Two...
Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Humoral stimuli,...
Hormones of the Pituitary Gland
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
Hormones Regulating Blood Glucose
In addition to accelerating glucose uptake and utilization, insulin has...
Major Hormones and Their Functions
Oxytocin, produced in the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland, plays a role in social bonding, childbirth, and lactation.

