The Effects of Hypokalaemia on the Hormone Exocytosis in Adenohypophysis and Prolactinoma Cell Culture Model Systems

摘要

The extracellular ion milieu determines the exo-cytosis mechanism that is coupled to spontaneous electrical activity. The K~+ ion plays crucial role in this mechanism: as the potassium current is associated with membrane hyperpolarization and hormone release through protein cascade activation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the response mechanisms of normal adenohypophysis and adenohypophyseal prolac-tinoma cell populations at different extracellular K~+ levels with an otherwise isoionic milieu of all other essential ions. We focused on prolactin (PRL) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) release.