[Analytical methods at the single cell level for measuring secretory functions of anterior pituitary cells]

It has been shown that cells that synthesize and secrete a specific hormone differ quantitatively and qualitatively one another for basal and secretagogue-induced secretion. Four analytical methods are at present available for measuring secretory activity of endocrine cells at the single cell level. These include the reverse hemolytic plaque assay, cell membrane capacitance method, quinacrine fluorescence method, and cell immunoblot assay (CIBA). Each method has advantages as well as disadvantages. The CIBA has several variants such as sequential and sandwich CIBAs. It is possible to determine hormone secretion repeatedly from single cells and to identify multihormones that are cosecreted from a cell by using these variants.