Expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 during postnatal development of the rat neurointermediate pituitary.

The expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) during postnatal development of the rat neurointermediate pituitary was characterized using immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization. Glial cells in the neural lobe (NL) showed robust expression of IGFBP-2 throughout the postnatal period and continuing into adulthood. These were identified as pituicytes by the presence of S-100 protein; IGFBP-2 was not present in microglia in the NL. IGFBP-2 immunoreactivity was more punctate in mature pituicytes, suggesting a possible association with the cell membrane. No expression of IGFBP-2 by brain astrocytes was observed at any age examined, even in regions such as the median eminence and subfornical organ that lack a blood-brain barrier. IGFBP-2 was also localized immunocytochemically in melanotropes and glial-like cells of the intermediate lobe (IL). Positive cells were most numerous in neonates and declined thereafter, with immunoreactivity undetectable by 65 days of age. IGFBP-2 mRNA was detected in the IL only at 1 day of age. These findings are consistent with a potential role for IGFBP-2 in modulating effects of the insulin-like growth factors during development of the neurointermediate lobe. The constitutive expression of high levels of IGFBP-2 by mature pituicytes also suggests that this protein could be secreted and/or influence a variety of processes in the mature NL, such as glial proliferation, axonal growth, or morphological plasticity of pituicytes.