Estrogen regulation of rat anterior pituitary adenylate cyclase.

The effect of chronic estrogen treatment on the stimulation and dopamine inhibition of anterior pituitary (AP) adenylate cyclase (AC) activity was examined. Treatment of ovariectomized female rats with estradiol for 21 days resulted in a 450% increase in AP weight compared to ovariectomized controls. Stimulation of AC by guanine nucleotides (GN) (1 nM-0.1 mM) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (1 microM) was reduced by 50%. Stimulation of AC by fluoride ions was unchanged by estradiol treatment. Stimulation above basal by forskolin was reduced by variable amounts (23-50%), and depended on the concentration of forskolin used. Inhibition of AC mediated by D2-dopamine receptors was decreased by 45%. Estrogen treatment had no effect on the toxin-catalyzed incorporation of [32P]ADP into stimulatory and inhibitory GN regulatory proteins. These results indicate that the effect of estrogen on the anterior pituitary include modulation of stimulated, dopamine-inhibited and basal AC activity.