Relationship between stimulated prolactin release from GH cells and cyclic AMP degradation and formation.

We have studied the relationship between the prolaction (PRL) release induced by thyroliberin (TRH) and theophylline and the formation and inactivation of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in cultured rat-pituitary cells (GH3 cells). TRH, which stimulated prolactin release, increased cyclic AMP formation and stimulated transiently both the low- and high-Km cyclic phosphodiesterases. The maximal effect on the phosphodiesterase was observed at 30 mM TRH. The stimulatory effect of TRH on the activity of the cyclic AMP phosphodiesterases was duplicated by incubation of the cells with cyclic AMP (2-10 mM). In washed particulate GH3 cell fractions, TRH increased the adenylyl cyclase activity up to 180%. Treatment of GH3 cells with theophylline stimulated the release of PRL and inhibited cyclic AMP degradation probably leading to the measured increase in cellular concentrations of the nucleotide. The effects of TRH and theophylline on cellular cyclic AMP concentrations and on PRL release were additive. There was a positive correlation between PRL release and cellular cyclic AMP concentration (r = 0.97). The elevations observed in cellular cyclic AMP concentration after TRH treatment are due to increased formation which in turn leads to phosphodiesterase activation. Therefore, cyclic AMP formation appears to be an intermediary step in the stimulus-secretion coupling caused by the tripeptide.