Prolactin and Thyrotrophin Content of Functional Transplantable Pituitary Tumors

Abstract

Summary The prolactin and thyrotrophin content of various transplantable pituitary tumors was studied. 1. Prolactin was found in stilbestrol induced and stilbestrol dependent rat pituitary tumor and also in an autonomous mammotrophic mouse tumor in concentrations only 10% or less that found in bovine pituitaries. These tumors contained little or no thyrotrophin. 2. Two autonomous adrenotrophic tumors contained no detectable prolactin or thyrotrophin. 3. Two dependent thyrotrophic tumors contained no detectable prolactin while the thyrotrophin concentration was ten times that of bovine pituitaries. A five gram thyrotrophic tumor contains 5,000 times more thyrotrophin than one mouse pituitary. Blood levels of thyrotrophin were 2,000 times normal.