Phorbol ester and phospholipase C-induced growth hormone secretion from pituitary somatotroph adenoma cells in culture: effects of somatostatin, bromocriptine, and pertussis toxin.

To clarify the role of the breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in GH secretion in human somatotrophs and the effects of inhibitors of GH secretion on this mechanism, we studied the effects of 12-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and phospholipase C (Plase C) on GH secretion and the interactions of somatostatin (SRIH), bromocriptine, and pertussis toxin (IAP) with TPA or Plase C, using human GH-secreting pituitary adenoma cells in culture. SRIH (10(-9)-10(-7) M) inhibited and TPA (10(-10)-10(-8) M) and Plase C (0.125-1.0 U/mL) stimulated GH secretion. SRIH (10(-9)-10(-7) M) inhibited GH release induced by TPA (10(-8) M) or Plase C (1.0 U/mL). Bromocriptine (10(-8) M) also inhibited 10(-8) M TPA-induced GH secretion. When adenoma cells were treated with 100 ng/mL IAP for 24 h, basal and TPA-induced GH secretion rates did not change. However, the inhibitory effects of SRIH (10(-8) M) or bromocriptine (10(-8) M) on basal and 10(-8) M TPA-stimulated GH secretion were attenuated. In addition, IAP reduced GH secretion induced by 0.5 U/mL Plase C, while SRIH inhibition of Plase C-evoked GH release was diminished by IAP. We conclude that the hydrolysis of PIP2 by Plase C, which causes activation of protein kinase C by 1,2-diacylglycerol and Ca2+ mobilization by inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate, is a physiological intracellular mechanism leading to GH secretion in human somatotrophs; SRIH inhibits GH secretion mediated by this mechanism, and bromocriptine blocks at least protein kinase C-mediated GH release; the inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein (Ni) is involved in these inhibitory effects of SRIH and bromocriptine; and Ni modulates the breakdown of PIP2 by Plase C.