These results suggest that the plasma membrane ERα pool might be related to the proliferative behaviour of prolactinoma and may be a marker of pituitary tumour growth.
This study demonstrates a variation in LRP16 with estrogen receptor α (ERα) in prolactinoma models and the up and downregulation effects of LRP16 on prolactin secretion of pituitary adenomas cells (GH3 cells).
Consequently, the mRNAs of SSTR subtypes (SSTR) 1, 2, 3, and 5, dopamine receptor (D2R), and ERα were measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR in 59 NFomas and 50 functioning adenomas; the latter included 30 GH-secreting adenomas (GHomas) and 20 prolactinomas (PRLomas).
The aims of this study are to investigate the functional role of ERα in proliferation, prolactin (PRL) secretion, and expression of the above-mentioned growth factors in MMQ cells in the absence of estrogen and to discuss the feasibility of using an estrogen receptor antagonist to treat prolactinoma.
The findings of differential expression of CRABP1 in prolactinomas and of RERG in NFPA compared to normal pituitary suggests that retinoic acid and estrogen receptor, respectively, could be involved in the tumorigenesis of these adenomas subtypes.