Effect of vasopressin, oxytocin and LHRH on the proliferation and metabolism of rat bone marrow stromal cells in culture.

Effect of vasopressin, oxytocin and LHRH (10 and 20 pg/ml medium) on the proliferation and metabolism of cultured rat bone marrow stromal cells was investigated by methyl-3H-thymidine incorporation, cytochemistry and estimation of enzyme activities. Vasopressin did not change of the activity of tetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (4HFDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and the level of reduced glutathione (GSH). However, the higher concentration of vasopressin significantly lowered the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AchE). As compared with the control cultures, stromal cells grown in the presence of oxytocin showed higher (at lower hormone concentration) and lower (at higher concentration) LDH activity as well as lower G6PD activity (only at higher concentration), while the activity of AchE and the level of GSH was not changed. LHRH significantly increased G6PD and AchE activity and decreased LDH activity in the cultured cells. As revealed by cytochemistry, LHRH specifically enhanced 4HFDH activity in reticular cells.