Endocrinology Vol. 139, No. 12 5116-5124
Copyright © 1998 by The Endocrine Society
Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) 38 and PACAP27 Activate Common and Distinct Intracellular Signaling Pathways to Stimulate Growth Hormone Secretion from Porcine Somatotropes1
Antonio J. Martínez-Fuentes,
Justo P. Castaño,
Francisco Gracia-Navarro and
MaríA M. Malagón
Department of Cell Biology, University of Córdoba,
14004-Córdoba, Spain
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. F. Gracia-Navarro, Department of Cell Biology. Faculty of Sciences, University of Córdoba, Avinguda San Alberto Magno, s/n, 14004-Cordoba, Spain. E-mail: bc1grnaf{at}uco.es
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Abstract
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We have recently shown that the two bioactive forms of pituitary
adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide, PACAP38 and PACAP27,
stimulate GH release and GH messenger RNA (mRNA) accumulation in
cultured porcine pituitary cells. However, dose- and time-related
differences in the response to both peptides suggested that the
signaling mechanisms activated by PACAP38 and PACAP27 in this cell type
could differ. To test this hypothesis, we have evaluated hormone
release and GH mRNA content after PACAP treatment in combination with
selective activators and inhibitors of the adenylate
cyclase/cAMP/protein kinase A and the phospholipase C/inositol
phosphate (IP)/protein kinase C pathways, and with blockers of intra-
and extracellular Ca2+. Our results show that activation of
the adenylate cyclase/cAMP/protein kinase A system, and extracellular
Ca2+ entry through L-type Ca2+-channels are
prevailing and requisite signals for the transduction of the
stimulatory effects of both PACAP38 and PACAP27 on GH release and
transcription in porcine somatotropes. However, phospholipase C and
intracellular Ca2+ also contribute, although partially, to
PACAP38-induced, but not to PACAP27-induced increase in porcine GH
secretion and mRNA levels. These findings demonstrate that in normal
somatotropes, PACAP38 can activate multiple transduction pathways that
differ from those employed by PACAP27. Moreover, these differences
could account for the previously described divergences in the actions
of either peptide in porcine somatotropes.
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Introduction
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PITUITARY adenylate cyclase-activating
polypeptide (PACAP) is a member of the secretin/glucagon/vasoactive
intestinal polypeptide (VIP)/GH-releasing factor (GRF) family (1, 2).
PACAP exists in two bioactive molecular forms, one of 38 residues
(PACAP38) and a shorter form corresponding to the N-terminal 27
residues of PACAP38 (PACAP27) (3, 4). Both forms have been found to
occur at high concentrations in the hypothalamus of several species (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), and increasing evidence indicates that PACAP may act as a
hypophysiotropic factor (reviewed in Refs. 1, 2). In particular, a
number of studies have demonstrated that PACAP38 stimulates GH release
from somatotropes in vitro in a variety of species including
rat (10, 11, 12, 13), bovine (14), ovine (15), and frog (16), as well as in
human somatotrope tumor cells (17), suggesting that this peptide can be
involved in the regulation of normal and abnormal somatotrope function.
In contrast, few reports have addressed the possible effects of PACAP27
on GH secretion. Recently, we have observed that both PACAP38 and
PACAP27 stimulate GH release and GH messenger RNA (mRNA) accumulation
in cultured porcine somatotropes (18). However, the patterns of
response to both peptides were different. Specifically, PACAP27 exerted
a dose-dependent stimulation of GH release, whereas the secretory
response of somatotropes to PACAP38 did not follow such pattern.
Likewise, the PACAP27-induced increase of GH mRNA in porcine
somatotropes appeared faster than that induced by PACAP38. The
differential responses suggested that the intracellular mechanisms
mediating the effect of each peptide on porcine somatotropes may
differ.
PACAP exerts its actions through specific membrane receptors that
belong to the seven transmembrane-spanning, G protein-linked family of
receptors (1, 2, 19, 20). In rat, three major classes of PACAP/VIP
receptors (PVRs), namely PAC1, VPAC1, and
VPAC2 (previously known as PVR1, PVR2, and PVR3,
respectively; 21), have been cloned and found to be expressed in the
pituitary gland (1, 2, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25). PVRs can be distinguished by their
binding affinities to PACAP38, PACAP27, and VIP, and by their ability
to activate distinct signaling pathways (1, 2, 19). Furthermore,
functional expression of five splice variants of the rat
PAC1 has revealed that PACAP38 and PACAP27 can couple
differentially to the adenylate cyclase (AC)/cAMP/protein kinase A
(PKA) or the phospholipase C (PLC)/inositol phosphate (IP) pathways
(22). In normal rat somatotropes, PACAP38 has been shown to stimulate
Ca2+ influx through a cAMP-dependent mechanism
(26, 27, 28), although the type of receptors and signaling pathways that
mediate PACAP action in this cell type have not been fully elucidated.
Furthermore, there is no evidence as to whether PACAP38 and PACAP27
couple to common or distinct signaling cascades in rat somatotropes. In
contrast, we have recently reported that in porcine somatotropes both
PACAP38 and PACAP27 increase cytosolic free Ca2+
concentration ([Ca2+]i) by stimulating
extracellular Ca2+ entry through L-type VSCC by a
PKA-dependent mechanism, but that PACAP38 also triggers a PLC-mediated
Ca2+ mobilization from intracellular stores (29). These
findings further suggested that the two molecular forms of PACAP could
stimulate the secretory activity of porcine somatotropes by activating
both distinct and common signaling pathways.
In the present study, we aimed at elucidating this question using
cultures of porcine somatotropes to determine the second messengers
that mediate the stimulatory effects of PACAP38 and PACAP27 on GH
release and GH mRNA accumulation. To this end, hormone release and
intracellular GH mRNA content were evaluated after PACAP treatment in
combination with selective activators/inhibitors of the AC/cAMP/PKA and
the PLC/IP/protein kinase C (PKC) pathways, as well as with blockers of
extra- and intracellular Ca2+.
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Materials and Methods
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Materials
Porcine GH (pGH) was kindly supplied by Dr. A. F. Parlow,
from the Pituitary Hormones and Antisera Center, Harbor-University of
California Los Angeles Medical Center. The specific oligonucleotide for
porcine GH mRNA (5'-GA CTG GAT GAG CAG CAG CGA GAA GCG-3'),
Oligonucleotide Labeling and Detection kit, yeast transfer RNA, and
proteinase K were purchased from Boehringer Mannheim
(Mannheim, Germany). FBS was obtained from Gibco BRL
(Grand Island, NY). MEM, HBSS, BSA, and all other chemical compounds
were obtained from Sigma Chemical Co. (London, UK).
Plastic 24-well culture plates were from Falcon (Lincoln, NJ), and
35-mm culture dishes were from Costar (Cambridge, MA).
Drugs
Stock solutions of PACAP38 and PACAP27 (Peninsula Laboratories, Inc. Europe Ltd., Merseyside, UK), MDL 12,330 A
(Research Biochemicals International, Natick, MA), H89
(Calbiochem Corp., San Diego, CA), as well as dibutyril
cAMP (dbcAMP) and thapsigargin (Sigma Chemical Co.) were
prepared with distilled deionized water. U73122 (Research Biochemicals International), 1-O-tetradecanoyl
phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and forskolin (Sigma Chemical Co.) were dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide. Phloretin
(Calbiochem Corp.), nifedipine, and verapamil (Sigma Chemical Co.) were dissolved in ethanol. Aliquots of
concentrated stock solutions were stored at -20 C until use, when they
were diluted to final concentrations in MEM. The highest concentration
of dimethyl sulfoxide or ethanol was < 0.1%, which had no effect
on either basal hormone release or GH mRNA accumulation.
Animals and pituitary cell dispersion
Pituitaries from prepubertal Large White-Landrace sows (56
months old) were obtained from a local abattoir. Animals were killed by
exsanguination after electrical stunning. Within 510 min after death,
pituitaries were excised and transferred to sterile cold (4 C) medium
(MEM) supplemented with 0.1% BSA (fraction V). In the laboratory,
pituitaries were washed several times with fresh MEM, and the posterior
lobes were discarded. Anterior pituitaries (34 pooled per experiment)
were enzymatically and mechanically dissociated into single cells
following a protocol described elsewhere (30, 31). In brief, anterior
pituitary glands were cut into fragments of 12 mm3,
decanted, and then exposed sequentially to 0.3% trypsin (type I),
0.1% collagenase (type V), 0.1% soybean trypsin inhibitor I, 2
µg/ml DNAse, and Ca2+/Mg2+-free HBSS with
EDTA (2 mM and 1 mM), followed by a short
mechanical dissociation. Cell suspension was then filtered through a
nylon gauze (100 µm mesh), centrifuged, and suspended again in HBSS.
Cellular viability, as estimated by the trypan blue exclusion test in a
Neubauer chamber, was higher than 90%.
Cell culture
Dispersed cells were plated at a density of 300,000 cells/200
µl MEM into 24-well culture plates (for secretion experiments) or
35-mm culture dishes (for GH mRNA quantification) and allowed to attach
to the plate for 4560 min in a humidified atmosphere containing 5%
CO2. Subsequently, cell cultures received 800 µl/well or
1,800 µl/dish MEM supplemented with FBS (10% final), as well as
antibiotic-antimycotic solution (1%), and gentamicin sulfate (50
µg/ml). After 48 h of culture, medium was replaced by fresh
MEM-FBS. Cultures were maintained for 3 days before treatments.
Secretion experiments
On the day of the experiment, cells cultured in 24-well plates
were incubated for a 4-h period with serum-free MEM and then treated
for 4 h with 10-9 M PACAP38 or PACAP27
alone or in combination with the corresponding test substance. Blockers
of the different second messengers were added to the incubation medium
90 min before PACAP treatment at the concentrations indicated in figure
legends. To test PKC activity, two types of experiments were performed:
1) short-term incubations (4 h) with increasing doses of TPA alone
(10-610-9 M); and 2) long-term
incubations (22 h) with 10-8 M TPA to achieve
PKC depletion before 4-h treatments with PACAP38, PACAP27, or
forskolin. After the experimental treatments, media were collected from
the culture wells, centrifuged for 5 min to remove cell debris, and
then the liquid fraction was stored at -20 C until its pGH content was
assayed by enzyme immunoassay, as previously described (31). All
treatments were carried out in quadruplicate in individual experiments,
and each experiment was repeated at least four times. GH release during
the 4-h treatment with secretagogues is expressed as a percentage of
hormone release in wells that received medium alone.
GH mRNA quantification
Cells cultured in 35-mm plastic dishes were preincubated for
4 h in serum-free MEM. Subsequently, incubation continued for
16 h in the presence of 10-9 M PACAP38 or
PACAP27 alone or in combination with the corresponding test substance.
As for the secretion experiments, blockers of the different second
messengers were added 90 min before PACAP administration. At the end of
the treatments, the medium was removed and cells were rinsed with 0.01
M PBS (pH 7.2). Thereafter, cells were fixed in the culture
dishes with 4% paraformaldehyde in PBS, dehydrated in a graded series
of ethanol and kept dry at -70 C until use. Three culture dishes were
processed per experiment for in situ hybridization, and each
experiment was repeated at least three times. GH mRNA accumulation
during the 16 h treatment with secretagogues is expressed as a
percentage of basal GH mRNA content in cells incubated with medium
alone.
The in situ hybridization procedure was performed as
described previously (18). The probe used was a 26-base oligonucleotide
specific to a region in the pGH mRNA encoding amino acids 102110 of
the protein, which was digoxigenin-labeled at its 3'-end using a
Digoxigenin Oligonucleotide Labeling kit. In brief, cells were
rehydrated, rinsed with PBS, and sequentially passed through 1% Triton
X-100, 5 µg/ml proteinase K, and postfixed in 4% paraformaldehyde
before addition of the hybridization mixture. Hybridization buffer
[50% deionized formamide, 5 x Denhardts solution (1% Ficoll
type I, 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone, 1% BSA in H2O), 5
x SSPE (0.75 M NaCl, 0.05 M
NaH2PO4, 5 mM EDTA, pH 7.4), 4%
dextran sulfate, 0.1% SDS, 250 µg/ml heat-denatured salmon sperm DNA
(DNA disodium salts, type III), 200 µg/ml yeast transfer RNA, and 2
µg/ml polyriboadenosine] containing the digoxigenin-labeled probe at
35 ng/200 µl was placed in the culture dishes. After overnight
hybridization in a humid chamber at 37 C, cells were sequentially
rinsed with 2 x SSC (0.3 M NaCl, 0.03 M
sodium citrate, pH 7.4), 1 x SSC, and 0.5 x SSC. Then,
cells were washed in buffer I (0.1 M Tris, 0.15
M NaCl, pH 7.5), and sequentially incubated in the same
buffer containing 2% BSA and 0.3% Triton X-100, and with the alkaline
phosphatase-labeled antidigoxigenin F(ab) fragment diluted 1:500 in
buffer I containing 1% BSA and 0.3% Triton X-100. Cell-bound alkaline
phosphatase activity was visualized by incubating the cells with buffer
II (0.1 M Tris, 0.1 M NaCl, 0.05 M
MgCl2, pH 9.5) containing 4.5 µl/ml nitroblue tetrazolium
salt, 3.5 µl/ml 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate, and 0.24 mg/ml
levamisole. Finally, samples were mounted in glycerol:buffer I
(1:1).
Densitometric quantification of intracellular GH mRNA content in single
somatotropes was performed using an image analysis system.
Specifically, a Universal microscope (Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany) was
connected by a CCTV camera (Sony, Tokyo, Japan) to a Pentium
computer equipped with digitizer cards and the Software package for
Image Analysis Visilog (version 4.1; Visilog, Noesis, France).
Microscopic fields with hybridized pituitary cells were randomly
selected. Staining intensity (optical density) of each individual cell
was measured, and the relative amount of GH mRNA per somatotrope was
calculated in terms of Integrated Optical Density (IOD) and expressed
in arbitrary units. For each experiment, at least 45 GH mRNA-positive
cells per culture dish were analyzed. An average IOD value of
nonstained cells was calculated in each dish (blank value) and
substracted from the IOD value of single positive cells in that dish.
To avoid variations on the IOD due to factors such as probe labeling,
illumination, or focusing, samples from the same experimental set were
simultaneously hybridized and measured within the same session.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analyses were carried out with the program
Statistica for Windows (Statsoft, Inc., Tulsa, OK). A one-way ANOVA
followed by a post hoc Duncans test was applied to compare
experimental treatments. Differences were considered to be significant
at P < 0.05.
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Results
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Role of AC/cAMP/PKA pathway in the release of GH stimulated by
PACAP38 and PACAP27
We have observed previously that both PACAP38 and PACAP27
stimulate GH release from cultured porcine somatotropes (18). To
analyze the possible involvement of the AC/cAMP/PKA pathway on the
stimulation caused by both peptides, we tested the effect of specific
activators and blockers of this route. Treatment with the permeable
analog of cAMP, dbcAMP (3 mM), evoked an increase in GH
release (172.09 ± 21.93% of control; n = 4,
P < 0.05) that mimicked those induced by
10-9 M PACAP38 and PACAP27 (Fig. 1
, A and B). The AC activator forskolin
(FK; 10 µM) induced a significant increase in GH release
that was completely blocked by coincubation in the presence of the AC
inhibitor MDL 12,330 A (10 µM) (Fig. 1A
). Similarly, MDL
12,330 A totally reversed PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH release
without affecting basal release by itself (Fig. 1A
). To determine
whether this AC-dependent GH release was mediated through the
subsequent activation of PKA, the specific inhibitor of this enzyme,
H89 (15 µM), was employed. As shown in Fig. 1B
, H89
reduced the increases in GH elicited by FK, PACAP38, and PACAP27 to
control levels but did not modify basal release. These results indicate
that AC and PKA are actually involved in transducing the stimulus of
both PACAP38 and PACAP27 on porcine somatotropes to release GH.

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Figure 1. Effect of AC and PKA blockers on PACAPs- and
forskolin-stimulated GH release. Cultures of 300,000 cells/ml were
treated for 4 h with PACAP38 (P38; 10-9
M), PACAP27 (P27; 10-9 M), and
forskolin (FK; 10 µM) alone, or in the presence of the AC
inhibitor MDL 12,330 A (M; 10 µM) (A), or the PKA blocker
H89 (H; 15 µM) (B). Inhibitors were added to the
incubation medium 90 min before PACAP or forskolin treatment. GH
released into the culture medium was measured by enzyme immunoassay.
Data are expressed as a percentage of basal values in control
experiments (100%; absolute values 62.9 ± 14.6 and 43.3 ±
7.9 ng GH/ml, for panels A and B, respectively). Data are mean
(±SE) from five independent experiments, each performed in
quadruplicate. a, P < 0.05 vs.
control; b, P < 0.05 vs. preceding
data group.
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Role of Ca2+ in PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH
release
The contribution of extra- and intracellular Ca2+ to
the GH release induced by both PACAPs was evaluated by using various
substances that impede Ca2+ entry into the cell, or that
selectively deplete intracellular Ca2+ stores.
Specifically, addition of the selective Ca2+ chelator EGTA
(0.1 mM) to the incubation medium completely blocked
PACAP38- (Fig. 2A
) and PACAP27-stimulated
GH release (Fig. 2B
), whereas it did not alter basal GH secretion (Fig. 2
, A and B). Next, we investigated the possible involvement of L-type
voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels (VSCC) in the entry of
extracellular Ca2+ induced by both PACAPs. For this
purpose, the effects of two selective blockers of L-type VSCC were
tested. As shown in Fig. 2
(A and B), both nifedipine (1
µM) and verapamil (1 µM) specifically
abolished the GH responses to PACAP38 (Fig. 2A
) and PACAP27 (Fig. 2B
)
without altering basal GH release from porcine pituitary cells. Thus,
both PACAP38- and PACAP27-induced GH release depends on extracellular
Ca2+ entry through L-type VSCC.

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Figure 2. Participation of extra- and intracellular
Ca2+ in PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH release. To
examine the role of extracellular Ca2+, cells were
incubated for 4 h in the presence of EGTA (E; 0.1 mM),
nifedipine (N; 1 µM) or verapamil (V; 1 µM)
alone, or in combination with 10-9 M PACAP38
(P38; A) or 10-9 M PACAP27 (P27; B), and GH
release was evaluated. Data are expressed as a percentage
of basal values in control experiments (100%; absolute
values 50.3 ± 12.7 and 53.8 ± 17.1 ng GH/ml, for panels A
and B, respectively). Data are mean (±SE) from five
independent experiments, each performed in quadruplicate. a,
P < 0.05 vs. control; b,
P < 0.05 vs. PACAP38 or PACAP27
alone. In panel C, the contribution of intracellular Ca2+
was assessed by using the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase
pump inhibitor thapsigargin (Tg). GH release from cell cultures was
measured after exposure to 10-9 M PACAP38 or
PACAP27 alone or in combination with Tg (100 µM) (n
= 4). a, P < 0.05 vs. control
(100%; 54.4 ± 10.2 ng GH/ml); b, P < 0.05
vs. PACAP38 alone. c, P < 0.05
vs. thapsigargin alone.
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The role of intracellular Ca2+ stores in
the response of somatotropes to PACAPs was evaluated by depleting the
endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pool with the specific
endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase pump inhibitor
thapsigargin (Tg). Incubation with Tg (100 nM) did not
affect the ability of PACAP27 to stimulate GH release (Fig. 2C
). In
contrast, it partially inhibited the increase in GH evoked by PACAP38
(Fig. 2C
), thereby suggesting that intracellular Ca2+
participates in the response of somatotropes to this peptide.
Role of PLC/PKC pathway in PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH
release
To examine whether PLC mediates PACAP-induced GH release, a
specific inhibitor of this enzyme, U73122 (5 µM), was
used. Treatment with U73122 did not affect basal or PACAP27-stimulated
GH release (Fig. 3
). However, it
partially diminished PACAP38-induced GH secretion (Fig. 3
).

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Figure 3. Effect of PLC inhibition on PACAP38- and
PACAP27-stimulated GH release. Cells were exposed to a 4-h challenge
with 10-9 M PACAP38 (P38) or PACAP27 (P27)
alone or in the presence of the PLC inhibitor U73122 (U; 5
µM). Data are mean (±SE) from five
independent experiments, each performed in quadruplicate. a,
P < 0.05 vs. control (100%;
63.0 ± 14.7 ng GH/ml); b, P < 0.05
vs. PACAP38; c, P < 0.05
vs. U73122.
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The possible role of PKC was studied by using a two-pronged strategy.
Firstly, short-term (4 h) incubations with the phorbol ester TPA
(10-910-6 M) were used to
activate PKC. As illustrated in Fig. 4A
, TPA increased GH release in a dose-dependent manner, thereby indicating
that PKC is able to stimulate somatotrope secretory activity. Secondly,
long-term exposure to TPA was performed to cause PKC depletion (Fig. 4B
). Such a depletion was confirmed because pretreatment with
10-8 M TPA for 22 h prevented the
response of somatotropes to a subsequent 4-h exposure to the same dose
of TPA. However, PACAP38 and PACAP27 exerted similar stimulations in
TPA- and MEM-preincubated cells, thus suggesting that the effects of
both PACAPs on GH release were not dependent on PKC activity (Fig. 4B
).
Finally, PKC depletion did not modify FK-stimulated GH secretion.

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Figure 4. Effect of PKC activation or depletion on GH
secretion from porcine somatotropes. A, GH release in response to a 4-h
treatment with increasing doses of TPA
(10-610-9 M). (n = 4) a,
P < 0.05 vs. control (100%;
67.4 ± 10.6 ng GH/ml); b, P < 0.05
vs. 10-8 M TPA. B, effect of
PKC depletion on PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH release. Cells were
exposed to long-term (22 h) pretreatment with MEM or TPA
(10-8 M), and subsequently to a 4-h challenge
with TPA (10-8 M), PACAP38 (P38;
10-9 M), PACAP27 (P27; 10-9
M), or forskolin (FK; 10 µM). (n = 6) a,
P < 0.05 vs. control (100%;
64.7 ± 11.9 ng GH/ml); b, P < 0.05
vs. 10-8 M TPA (4 h); c,
P < 0.05 vs. 10-8
M TPA (22 + 4 h).
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Contribution of AC/cAMP/PKA and extracellular Ca2+
to the GH mRNA increase induced by PACAP38 and PACAP27
We have previously shown that GH mRNA levels increased in
individual somatotropes after a 16-h treatment with 10-9
M PACAP38 and PACAP27 (18). Blockage of AC and PKA with MDL
12,330 A (10 µM) and H89 (15 µM),
respectively, completely abolished the response of somatotropes to both
PACAPs (Fig. 5
). Similarly, incubation
with the L-type-channel antagonist verapamil (1 µM)
reduced the accumulation of GH transcripts induced by PACAP38 and
PACAP27 to control levels (Fig. 5
). In contrast, none of the inhibitors
used modified basal levels of GH mRNA when administered alone. These
results suggest that AC/cAMP/PKA and extracellular Ca2+ are
required by both PACAPs to increase GH transcription.

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Figure 5. Contribution of AC, PKA, and extracellular
Ca2+ to the effect of PACAP on GH mRNA accumulation.
Cultures of 300,000 cells/ml were treated for 16 h with PACAP38
(P38; 10-9 M) and PACAP27 (P27;
10-9 M) alone or in combination with MDL
12,330 A (M; 10 µM), H89 (H; 15 µM), or
verapamil (V; 1 µM). Inhibitors were added to the
incubation medium 90 min before PACAP treatment. GH mRNA content per
single somatotrope was quantified on hybridized cells by densitometry.
Data are expressed as a percentage of basal values of integrated
optical density (IOD) in control experiments (100%; 3.945 ±
0.665 a.u.). Data are mean (±SE) from three independent
experiments (45 positive cells/treatment and experiment). a,
P < 0.05 vs. control; b,
P < 0.05 vs. PACAP38 alone; c,
P < 0.05 vs. PACAP27 alone.
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Contribution of PLC and PKC to PACAP38- and PACAP27-stimulated GH
mRNA increase
Inhibition of PLC by incubation with U73122 (5 µM)
partially decreased the accumulation of GH mRNA induced by PACAP38,
whereas it did not alter the stimulation evoked by PACAP27 (Fig. 6
). On the other hand, inhibition of PKC
by phloretin (Ph; 20 µM) did not significantly reduce
PACAP38- and PACAP27-induced GH mRNA increases, although such increased
mRNA values were numerically, but not significantly higher than
transcript levels observed in cells treated with Ph alone (Fig. 6
).
Specific inhibition of PKC activity by Ph was confirmed by its ability
to block TPA-stimulated GH release (data not shown).

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Figure 6. Effects of PLC and PKC inhibition on PACAP38- and
PACAP27-induced increases in GH mRNA levels. Cells were cultured in the
presence of PACAP38 (P38; 10-9 M) and PACAP27
(P27; 10-9 M) alone or in combination with the
PLC inhibitor U73122 (U; 5 µM) or the PKC inhibitor
phloretin (Ph; 20 µM). Data are expressed as a percentage
of basal values of integrated optical density (IOD) in single
somatotropes in control experiments (100%; 3.868 ± 0.382 a.u.).
Data are mean (± SE) from four independent experiments (45
positive cells/treatment and experiment). a, P <
0.05 vs. control; b, P < 0.05
vs. PACAP38; c, P < 0.05
vs. U73122.
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Discussion
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Suggestive evidence that PACAP regulates GH secretion has been
offered by a number of studies on somatotropes from various species (1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17). Recently, we have found that PACAP38 and PACAP27 stimulate
GH release and GH mRNA accumulation in cultured porcine pituitary cells
(18). However, the distinct dose- and time-dependent patterns of
stimulation effected by both peptides suggested the existence of
differences in the mechanisms mediating their actions. In the present
study, we have analyzed the relative contribution of several
intracellular signaling pathways to the response of porcine
somatotropes to PACAP38 and PACAP27. Our results demonstrate that these
peptides operate through common and distinct mechanisms. Thus,
activation of the AC/cAMP/PKA pathway and extracellular
Ca2+ entry play a major, necessary role in the stimulatory
actions of both PACAPs, whereas activation of the PLC route and
intracellular Ca2+ stores play a minor, albeit significant
role in mediating the effects of PACAP38.
It is well established that cAMP production is a key step in the
cascade of intracellular signals leading to GH release and gene
expression in somatotropes (32, 33). Here, we found that both dbcAMP
and the AC activator forskolin stimulated GH release from porcine
somatotropes. These results confirm and extend previous observations
that showed the analog 8-Br-cAMP to stimulate GH release in cultures of
piglet pituitary cells (34). Moreover, by using the specific AC
inhibitor MDL 12,330A we have demonstrated that AC activation and the
subsequent cAMP production is a necessary step for both PACAP38 and
PACAP27 to elicit GH release because this agent completely abolished
their stimulatory effects. Likewise, we found that PKA inhibition by
H89 completely blocked PACAPs- and forskolin-induced GH release in a
similar manner, indicating that the next step in this transduction
pathway, i.e. cAMP-mediated activation of PKA, is also
required by both PACAPs to stimulate GH secretion. In rat somatotropes,
indirect evidence from intracellular Ca2+ measurements in
isolated somatotropes has led to the concept that the AC/cAMP/PKA
pathway mediates GH-releasing ability of PACAP38 because the presence
of the cAMP antagonist and PKA blocker RpcAMPs prevented the peptide
from inducing increases in [Ca2+]i (27, 28).
Similarly, blockade of PKA with H89 greatly diminished PACAP38- and
PACAP27-induced [Ca2+]i increases in porcine
somatotropes (29). Consistent with these findings, our present results
demonstrate that both PACAP38 and PACAP27 stimulate GH release by
porcine somatotropes through the required activation of AC and PKA.
Ca2+ plays an essential role as second messenger in
somatotropes in response to a number of stimuli including PACAP (2, 26, 27, 28, 32, 33, 35). Hence, we evaluated the possible role of extra-
and intracellular Ca2+ in the secretory response of porcine
somatotropes to PACAP38 and PACAP27. Our results revealed that
extracellular Ca2+ entry is a requisite step for the
stimulatory action of both peptides on GH release. Furthermore, by
using the specific channel antagonists nifedipine and verapamil, we
demonstrated that extracellular Ca2+ entry occurs through
L-type VSCC in both cases. Earlier reports had shown the ability of
PACAP38 to increase free cytosolic Ca2+ in frog (36) and
rat (26, 27, 28, 37) somatotropes, and in this latter species, this effect
was found to be extracellular Ca2+- and PKA-dependent
(26, 27, 28, 37). These two signals are likely interrelated because
phosphorylation of L-type VSCC by PKA is known to be required for
channel opening in response to depolarization in somatolactotropic
cells (38). In line with these observations, we have recently reported
that the ability of PACAP38 and PACAP27 to increase
[Ca2+]i in pig somatotropes is greatly
impaired by extracellular Ca2+ removal, by addition of
verapamil, and by inactivation of PKA (29). Thus, in view of these and
our present findings, it seems reasonable to suggest that
PACAPs-stimulated GH release from porcine somatotropes is mediated
by the sequential activation of the AC/cAMP/PKA system which, in turn,
would trigger extracellular Ca2+ entry through L-type VSCC
by channel phosphorylation. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the
action of PKA in response to PACAP may not be restricted to VSCC. As it
has been recently shown in GH3 cells, PKA phosphorylation of
voltage-gated Na+ channels may also be required to
facilitate Na+ entry and the subsequent depolarization
which, in turn, would activate extracellular Ca2+ entry
through L-type VSCC (39).
Interestingly, results obtained using thapsigargin strongly suggested
that mobilization of Ca2+ from intracellular stores
contributes partially, albeit significantly, to PACAP38-, but not
PACAP27-induced GH release from porcine somatotropes. This finding was
somewhat unexpected for two reasons. First, current evidence suggests
that PACAP38 action on normal and tumoral rat somatotropes was not
linked to intracellular Ca2+ (2, 28). Second, because
extracellular Ca2+ deprivation completely blocked the
secretory response of porcine somatotropes to PACAP38, we did not
expect also intracellular Ca2+ to be required.
Notwithstanding, results on the participation of the IP pathway
supported and extended this observation. Indeed, selective blocking of
PLC caused a partial inhibition of GH release induced by PACAP38,
without affecting basal GH secretion or significantly reducing PACAP27
stimulatory effect. It is worth noting the striking parallelism between
the present results and our recent findings that intracellular
Ca2+ and PLC partially contribute to PACAP38-, but not to
PACAP27-induced [Ca2+]i increases in single
porcine somatotropes (29). Thus, taking these and our present results
together, it can be suggested that PACAP38-stimulated GH release is
partially dependent on PLC activation and subsequent mobilization of
internal Ca2+ stores, whereas these mechanisms would not
mediate the effect of PACAP27. On the contrary, although we found that
PKC activation by TPA leads to GH release in porcine somatotropes, our
results on PKC-depleted cells indicate that this enzyme does not
participate in the GH release induced by PACAP38 or PACAP27 in this
cell type, similar to that described in rat somatotropes (12).
Analysis of the intracellular mechanisms that mediate the effects of
PACAP38 and PACAP27 on the levels of GH mRNA in individual porcine
somatotropes was performed by means of nonradioactive in
situ hybridization. Similar to that observed for GH release, we
found that selective inhibition of AC or PKA resulted in suppression of
PACAPs-induced GH mRNA increases. These results indicate that the
stimulatory effects of both PACAPs on GH mRNA accumulation are
completely dependent on AC and PKA activities. Likewise, we observed
that extracellular Ca2+ entry through L-type VSCC was also
a necessary step for such stimulatory action. Conversely, PLC blockade
did not affect the stimulatory capacity of PACAP27, although it
diminished partially the GH mRNA increases induced by PACAP38. In
addition, results on PKC inhibition are not conclusive, but a possible
participation of PKC in this effect should not be discarded. Our
present findings are the first to describe the possible mechanisms
mediating the effects of PACAP on GH gene expression. In cultures of
rat pituitary cells, PACAP38 has been shown to increase GH mRNA levels
(13, 41), yet the mechanisms involved in those effects were not
addressed. Soto et al. (42) have reported that PACAP38
increases mRNA levels of the transcription factor Pit-1/GHF-1, which is
known to control GH gene expression (43). This suggests a possible
mechanism by which PACAP could regulate GH transcription. In addition,
the group of Bancroft (44) has described that PACAP increases PRL gene
expression in the clonal cell line GH3 through a PKA-dependent
mechanism that involves a protein related to CREB [cAMP responsive
element (CRE)-binding protein], a factor that also regulates GH gene
expression (43). According to the present results, the mechanisms that
mediate PACAPs-induced increases of porcine GH mRNA levels are
dependent predominantly, but not exclusively, on the activation of
AC/cAMP/PKA system and extracellular Ca2+ entry, because
PLC is partially required by PACAP38 to exert its full effect.
Therefore, it can be suggested that multiple intracellular signaling
pathways interact to control porcine GH mRNA levels in response to
PACAP.
The possibility that PACAP38 can simultaneously activate cAMP- and
IP-dependent signaling pathways in the same pituitary cell type is not
novel but has been observed previously in mouse melanotropes (45) and
in clonal rat gonadotropes (2, 28, 46, 47). One possible mechanism that
may contribute to such dual activation relates to the diversity of
PVRs. Of the three major PVRs described to date, both PACAPs act
through VPAC1 and VPAC2 types to activate
prevalently AC (1, 2, 28). Conversely, various splice variants of the
rat PAC1 type (PAC1 short and
PAC1hop subtypes) activate both AC and PLC upon PACAP38
binding, whereas similar PACAP27 doses only activate the AC pathway,
and micromolar concentrations of this peptide are required to enhance
PLC activity (22). Initial studies suggested that the response of
somatotropes to PACAP was mediated by VPAC2 or
VPAC1, but not PAC1 (2, 23, 27, 28). However,
recent evidence indicates that the splice variants PAC1s
and PAC1hop are indeed expressed in normal and clonal rat
somatotropes (24, 44, 48). Although the type of PVRs expressed in
porcine pituitary has not yet been determined, a type I PACAP-binding
site, analogous to the rat PAC1, has been isolated from pig
brain (49, 50). According to our results that both PACAP38 and PACAP27
require activation of AC, but that only the former requires PLC
activation in porcine somatotropes, it is tempting to speculate that
the type(s) of PVR(s) expressed by this cell type would share some
functional characteristics with those found for rat PAC1s
and/or PAC1hop. Likewise, the putative PVR of porcine
somatotropes should differ from human PAC1 subtypes
described recently, because PACAP27 and PACAP38 similarly activate AC
and PLC through these receptors (51, 52). Nevertheless, we must
introduce the caveat that small, nonsignificant reductions in
PACAP27-induced GH release and GH mRNA accumulation were observed in
the presence of PLC and intracellular Ca2+ inhibitors.
Thus, the possibility that PACAP27 could also activate the
PLC/intracellular Ca2+ pathway in porcine somatotropes
under other conditions (e.g. higher PACAP27 doses,
physiological status of the pituitary donor) should not be definitely
discarded.
In a previous study (18), we observed that the stimulatory action of
PACAP38 and PACAP27 on GH release and mRNA levels displayed different
dose- and time-related patterns, respectively. Thus, PACAP27 stimulated
GH release in a dose-dependent manner, whereas PACAP38 stimulation did
not follow such a pattern. Likewise, PACAP27-induced GH mRNA increased
more rapidly (8 h) than PACAP38 (16 h). Our present observations on the
intracellular mechanisms employed by each peptide to increase GH
release and mRNA levels in somatotropes might contribute to explain
these differential actions. As it has been suggested in clonal
gonadotropes, concurrent activation of cAMP and IP signaling systems by
PACAP in the same cell can lead to cross-talk among individual
components of each pathway (47). That cross-talk processes occur in
porcine somatotropes is supported by our observation that contribution
of PLC and intracellular Ca2+ to the effects of PACAP38 in
GH release and GH mRNA levels were dependent on extracellular
Ca2+ entry. In fact, an analogous mechanism operates for
PACAP38-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in this
cell type (29). Thus, it is conceivable that activation of cAMP- and
IP-dependent pathways in porcine somatotropes by PACAP38 could
result in cross-talk processes that may account for the differences
with respect to PACAP27. Porcine somatotropes could thus provide a
useful, nontumorous cell model to investigate the mechanisms of
differential activation of intracellular signals by PACAP38 and
PACAP27, and of how these signals (co)operate to control GH release and
gene expression.
In summary, our results indicate that both PACAPs stimulate GH
biosynthesis and release in porcine somatotropes mainly through
activation of the AC/cAMP/PKA pathway, which is positively coupled to
extracellular Ca2+ influx through L-type VSCC. In addition,
PLC and Ca2+ from intracellular stores contribute -yet only
partially- to PACAP38-stimulated GH release and transcription. Our
findings demonstrate, for the first time, the existence of differences
in the second messengers required by PACAP38 and PACAP27 to stimulate
normal, nontumorous somatotropes. Moreover, these differences could
explain the previously described dose- and time-dependent divergences
in the actions of both peptides on porcine somatotropes. Existence of
such differential actions is likely to be related to the type(s) of
PACAP-receptor subtype(s) expressed in porcine somatotropes and in
their affinity for PACAP38 and PACAP27, G protein coupling, and/or
ability to activate diverse signal transduction pathways.
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
We thank Dr. A. F. Parlow, from the Pituitary Hormones and
Antisera Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, for the
generous gift of pGH.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
1 This work was supported by Grants CVI-0139 (Plan Andaluz de
Investigación, Junta de Andalucía, Spain),
PB940451-CO2-01 (Ministerio de Educación y Cultura, Spain),
CRG-971039 (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and contract
ERBCHRX920017 of the European Union Program of Human Capital and
Mobility. Presented in part at the 79th Annual Meeting of The
Endocrine Society, 1997, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 
Received April 1, 1998.
 |
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