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Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Signaling Promotes Aberrant Pituitary Growth in a Mouse Model of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Tumors

Laboratory of Molecular Biology (C.L., F.F., S.-Y.C.), Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4264; and Department of Pathology (M.C.W.), Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1072

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Sheue-yann Cheng, Building 37, Room 5128, 37 Convent Drive MSC 4264, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4264. E-mail: chengs{at}mail.nih.gov.

TSH-secreting pituitary tumors (TSHomas) are pituitary tumors that constitutively secrete TSH. Molecular mechanisms underlying this abnormality are largely undefined. We recently created a knock-in mutant mouse harboring a mutation (denoted as PV) in the thyroid hormone receptor-β gene (TRβ^PV/PV mouse). As these mice age, they spontaneously develop TSHomas. Using this mouse model, we investigated the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of TSHomas. Concurrent with aberrant growth of pituitaries, AKT and its downstream effectors, mammalian target rapamycin and p70^S6K, were activated to contribute to increased cell proliferation and pituitary growth. In addition, activation of AKT led to decreased apoptosis by inhibiting proapoptotic activity of Bcl-2-associated death promoter, further contributing to the aberrant cell proliferation. These results suggest an activated PI3K-AKT pathway could underscore tumorigenesis, raising the possibility that this pathway could be a potential therapeutic target in TSHomas. Indeed, TRβ^PV/PV mice treated with a PI3K-specific inhibitor, LY294002, showed a significant decrease in pituitary growth. The progrowth signaling via AKT-mammalian target rapamycin-p70^S6K and cyclin D1/cyclin-dependent kinase were inhibited, and proapoptotic activity of Bcl-2-associated death promoter was increased by LY294002 treatment. Thus, activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway mediates, at least in part, the aberrant pituitary growth, and the intervention of this signaling pathway presents a novel therapeutic opportunity for TSHomas.