ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE CELLS AND IMMUNOREACTIVE BETA-ENDORPHIN CELLS IN THE HUMAN PITUITARY-GLAND - NORMAL AND PATHOLOGIC CONDITIONS STUDIED BY THE PEROXIDASE-LABELED ANTIBODY METHOD

Abstract

The comparative immunohistochemical localization of ACTH and .beta.-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (referred to as .beta.-endorphin) was studied in 16 human anterior pituitary glands from 6 normal adults, 4 normal fetuses, 1 stillborn infant, 2 anencephalic infants, 1 adult with Cooke''s hyaline degeneration and 2 patients with pituitary adenomas associated with Cushing''s syndrome. Mirror sections were used to enable precise comparison of the same cells on the 2 consecutive tissue sections. In these normal and pathologic human anterior pituitary glands, ACTH and .beta.-endorphin were mostly localized in the same cells. In the normal adult pituitary glands some ACTH cells were negative for .beta.-endorphin; and in 1 of the pituitary adenomas, some tumor cells were positive for only 1 hormone (.beta.-endorphin). These data apparently suggest concomitant production of ACTH and .beta.-endorphin in the same cells and support the production of precursor molecules for these 2 hormones. The significance of ACTH-positive, .beta.-endorphin-negative normal cells and .beta.-endorphin-positive, ACTH-negative tumor cells is also discussed.