Abstract
The pituitary gland undergoes important changes in cellular plasticity throughout life, consequently leading to hormonal output changes. The intermediate filament nestin plays a crucial role in cells that retain plasticity during development, aging and tumorigenesis. Here, we describe robust nestin immunoreactivity in glial-like cells of the intermediate lobe and in the vasculature of the developing, adult and aging pituitary gland. Additionally, we report a high incidence of spontaneous hyperplastic nodules in the anterior lobe of 24-month-old rats. In the nodules, nestin immunoreactivity is increased in blood vessels and in a few endocrine cells. We also found increased accumulation of nestin in hyperplastic glial-like cells of the intermediate lobe. This study suggests that nestin in the pituitary gland is implicated in age-related cellular plasticity.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 19-30 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Neuroendocrinology |
Volume | 90 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2009 |
Keywords
- Aging
- Endothelium
- Hyperplasia
- Immunohistochemistry
- Plasticity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Endocrinology
- Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience