Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Cytochrome P450 CYP3A5 in the human anterior pituitary gland
G I Murray1, S Pritchard, W T Melvin
1Department of Pathology, University of Aberdeen, UK.
Abstract:
The cytochromes P450 are a key group of enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics and several biologically active endogenous compounds. The expression of CYP3A5 has been identified by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in human pituitary gland and shown by immunohistochemistry to be localized to growth hormone containing cells of the anterior pituitary gland. This is the first direct identification of an individual P450 subfamily in the pituitary gland and the presence of CYP3A in the pituitary gland may play a role in regulating growth hormone secretion.
Related Concept Videos
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
The Pituitary Gland
Hormones of the Pituitary Gland
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
Hormones of the Adrenal Glands
The adrenal cortex, a powerhouse of hormone synthesis, generates over two dozen corticosteroid hormones. The zona glomerulosa produces mineralocorticoids, exemplified by aldosterone, influencing the electrolyte composition of body fluids. The synthesis of glucocorticoids such as cortisol and corticosterone...
The Pineal Gland
The primary secretion of the pineal gland is the hormone melatonin, derived from serotonin. The concentration of melatonin in the...
Pharmacogenetics of Phase I Enzymes: Cytochrome P450 Isozymes

