The specific aims are to study the mechanisms of pituitary growth and differentiation by (1) analyzing cytodifferentiation in the adenohypophysis in dwarf (dw) and little (lit) mutant mice, (2) examining cellular kinetics in the postnatal glands of normal mice, and (3) comparing and analyzing tissue interactions among the adenohypophysis, neurohypophysis, and brain in mouse and rhesus monkey embryos. A variety of techniques will be used, including electron microscopy, morphometry, immunocytochemistry at the electron microscopic level, and autoradiography. These studies will contribute to our understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in normal and abnormal development of the human pituitary gland, particularly with respect to pituitary dwarfism and related growth disorders, as well as to the formation of pituitary adenomas and to various dysplasias involving pituitary target endocrine organs such as the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and gonads.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HD012308-06
Application #
3311853
Study Section
Human Embryology and Development Subcommittee 2 (HED)
Project Start
1979-01-01
Project End
1989-11-30
Budget Start
1986-07-01
Budget End
1989-11-30
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California San Diego
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
077758407
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92093
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1995) Tissue culture of dwarf embryonic pituitary glands. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 31:741-3
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1993) Immunocytochemistry of ambiguous cells in adult and embryonic dwarf (dw) mouse pituitaries. Anat Rec 236:671-8
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1993) Immunocytochemical effects of thyroxine stimulation on the adenohypophysis of dwarf (dw) mutant mice. Cell Tissue Res 274:579-85
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1992) Adrenocorticotropic cell distribution in adult and embryonic pituitaries of the little (lit) mutant mouse. Anat Embryol (Berl) 186:347-53
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1992) Histopathology of the pituitary gland in neonatal little (lit) mutant mice. Histol Histopathol 7:451-5
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1988) Immunofluorescent analysis of somatotroph distribution in the adenohypophysis of developing lit/lit mice. J Anat 156:51-9
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P; Gadler, R M et al. (1988) Quantitative aspects of growth hormone cell maturation in the normal and little mutant mouse. Acta Anat (Basel) 131:150-5
Garzo, V G; Liu, J; Ulmann, A et al. (1988) Effects of an antiprogesterone (RU486) on the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-ovarian-endometrial axis during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 66:508-17
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1986) Immunocytochemistry of TSH cells during development of the dwarf mutant mouse. Anat Embryol (Berl) 174:277-82
Wilson, D B; Wyatt, D P (1986) Growth hormone and prolactin immunoreactivity in the pituitary gland of postnatal little (lit) mice. Histol Histopathol 1:309-13

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