Pituitary tumors: Cell type-specific roles for BMP-4

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology Vol. 326; no. 1; pp. 85 - 88
• Main Authors: Labeur, Marta, Páez-Pereda, Marcelo, Haedo, Mariana, Arzt, Eduardo, Stalla, Günter K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ireland Elsevier Ireland Ltd 15-09-2010
• Subjects: ACTH; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - metabolism; Adult; Animals; BMP-4; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 - metabolism; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 - physiology; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins - metabolism; Humans; Mice; Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion - complications; Pituitary Gland - embryology; Pituitary Gland - pathology; Pituitary Neoplasms - etiology; Pituitary Neoplasms - secretion; Pituitary tumors; Prolactin; Prolactin - metabolism; Prolactinoma - secretion; Rats; Retinoic acid; TGF-β; ACTH; TGF-β; BMP-4; Prolactin; Pituitary tumors; Retinoic acid
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2010.04.006

BMP-4 plays a crucial role not only in the formation of the anterior pituitary during embryo development but also in the pathogenesis of pituitary tumors in adults. In tumor cells, BMP-4 promotes prolactin secretion and lactotroph cell proliferation through a Smad-estrogen receptor crosstalk but it inhibits ACTH production and cell proliferation of corticotrophs. In addition, BMP-4 increases GH secretion in rat pituitary tumor somatolactotroph GH3 cells and FSHβ subunit gene transcription in the murine gonadotroph cell line, LβT2. Therefore, BMP-4 has a differential role on different types of pituitary tumors: it promotes pituitary prolactinoma while it inhibits corticotroph pathogenesis in Cushing's disease. The modulation of BMP-4 also plays an important role in the therapeutic mechanism of action of bromocriptine, somatostatin analogs and retinoic acid.