Enhancement by prolactin of the GnRH-induced release of LH from dispersed anterior pituitary cells of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

The response of enzymatically dispersed anterior pituitary cells of the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was studied by monitoring the release of luteinizing hormone (LH) into the culture medium. The cells responded to GnRH by releasing LH according to the incubation time and to the GnRH concentration. The responsiveness to GnRH became less conspicuous as the cell density was reduced. Addition of prolactin (PRL) to the medium enhanced the responsiveness to the secretagogue, and addition of antiserum against PRL lowered the responsiveness to a certain extent. Immunohistochemical studies of sectioned pituitaries revealed that PRL cells most frequently located in contact with LH cells. The possibility that PRL acts directly on gonadotrophs to enhance their responsiveness to GnRH was suggested.