In vitro techniques for studies on pituitary regulation of rat liver enzymes

Techniques have been developed for studies on synthesis and release of the novel pituitary hormone, feminotropin, from pituitary cells in primary monolayer culture. Feminotropin activity can be estimated in primary monolayer cultures of liver cells. Both kinds of cells are kept in well defined media containing only 1-2% serum in order to facilitate studies of hormonal influence on the cells. The pituitary cells produce hormones, mainly prolactin, for more than 4 weeks. When kept in [³H]-leucine-containing medium, mainly labelled peptides and/or proteins with isoelectric points between 4 and 7 are released. When suitable amounts of pituitary cells or when pituitary cell medium are transferred to cultures of hepatocytes the pattern of steroid metabolism in the hepatocytes is changed in a feminine direction.