简介：TheundecapeptidesubstanceP(SP)wasshowntobeintimatelyinvolvedinboththestructuralandfunctionalaspectsoftheanteriorpituitary.Yet,inadditiontoitsinfluencesonhormonalsecretion,SPmaywellpossessmoreactionsinthismastergland.ThepresentstudywasfthereforeaimedtoinvestigatetheeffectofSPontheproliferationofratanteriorpituitarycellsinprimaryculture,ItwasfoundthatSPcoulddose-dependentlyincreasetheincorporationoftritiatedthymidine(3H-TdR)intoculturedanteriorpituitarycells.OthermammaliantachykininssuchasneurokininAandneurokininBhadsimilareffectbuttovaryingdegrees.TheequipotentanalogueofSP,Norleucine^11-SP(Nle^11-SP),alsoactedlikewise.withitsactionantagonizablebyspantide,aSPreceptorblocker.TofurthercharacterizethenatureofcellsresponsivetothechallengeofSP,immunocytochemicalstainingagainstS-100proteinandsomeadenohypophysealhormoneswasperformedaloneorplusautoradiography.TheresultsshowedthatthepercentageofS-100proteinimmunorectivecellswasapparentlyelevatedbytheaddtionofNle^11-Spfor48h,whichindicatesapreferentialproliferationoffolliculo-stellatecellsundertheregime.ThiswasconfirmedbyincreasesinimmunocytochemicalorautoradiographicallabellingindicesofanteriorpituitarySubstancePandanteriorpituitarycellproliferation.Cellstreatedsimilarly.Takentogether,TheseresultsrevealthatthetrophicactionofSPobservedpreviouslyinothertissuesisalsopresentatleastinculturedratanteriorpituitarycells.withrespondingcellsbeingpredominantlyfolliculo-stellatecellsastypifiedbyS-100proteinimmunoreactivity.Therefore,anintra-pituitarytrophicactionofSPinvivocouldbeanticipated.