Expression of Pit-1 mRNA and Activin/Inhibin Subunits in Clinically Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas

The pituitary-specific transcriptional factor Pit-1 is known to play a role in the development and differentiation of pituitary cells. Recent investigations have suggested a role for this transcriptional factor in pituitary adenomas, especially growth hormone (GH)- and prolactin (PRL)-secreting pituitary adenomas. In this study we analyzed the expression of Pit-1 mRNA and its protein in 24 clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas in comparison with normal pituitary glands using in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The interaction between inhibin/activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-beta family, and Pit-1 was also studied. Immunohistochemically, Pit-1 protein was detected in 9 of 24 adenomas (37.5 %), and 8 of these 9 were also positive for the alpha subunit of glycoprotein (alphaSU). The expression of Pit-1 mRNA was detected in 14 of 24 (58.3%) clinically nonfunctioning adenomas, and it was found in all cases which expressed the Pit-1 protein. By the combined ISH and IHC method, Pit-1 mRNA was frequently observed in alphaSU-immunopositive cells in adenomas. The inhibin/activin alpha subunit was detected in all 24 adenomas and the betaA subunit was detected in 13 of 24 adenomas. The inhibin/activin betaA subunit was detected frequently with Pit-1 mRNA. From our observations, the inhibin/activin betaA subunit in nonfunctioning adenomas may have related the expression of Pit- mRNA in these adenomas.