Cadmium exposure modifies lactotrophs activity associated to genomic and morphological changes in rat pituitary anterior lobe

Cadmium (Cd) is widely used in industrial applications and is an important contaminant of agricultural products. As an endocrine disruptor, Cd modifies the hormone release of pituitary anterior lobe (PAL). This work was undertaken to evaluate a possible association between phospholipase D (PLD) and prolactin mRNA expressions and the activity of lactotrophs and folliculostellate cells (FSC) in PAL of Cd exposed adult male Wistar rats (Cd, 0.133 mM per liter for 2 months). The PALs were submitted to immunohistochemical and morphometric analysis to determine the percentage of lactotrophs (PRL-ir) and FSC (S-100-ir). Cultured PAL cells were stained with Hoechst 33258 to determine the presence of alterations in nuclear morphology consistent with apoptosis. The expressions of PLD and prolactin mRNA were assessed by RT-PCR. Cd treated rats showed a decrease of PLD mRNA levels that can be associated to both high number of apoptotic cells and increase of S-100 protein expression in FSC. Cd decreased prolactin mRNA expression, number of lactotrophs and percentage of PRL-ir suggesting a low availability of prolactin to be secreted from PAL. Cd modifies the lactotrophs activity of pituitary gland through biochemical, genomic and morphological changes and contributes directly or indirectly to the levels of serum prolactin.