Search Results (4)

The pituitary gland, a puzzling medical subject up until the 20th century, had its early pathologies first documented in the 19th century by Pierre Marie and Hutchinson, where the gland’s meaningful study was hindered by its hard-to-reach location. This paper revisits the pioneering work of Romanian doctors such as Gheorghe Marinescu, Nicolae Paulescu, and Grigore T. Popa in surgical techniques targeting the pituitary gland. Marinescu’s 1892 experiment, albeit unsuccessful, laid the groundwork for future research in this area. Before Paulescu, surgical attempts could be classified into three types: oral, cranial, and sphenopalatine fossa approaches—all of which were notably dangerous and often resulted in fatal bleeding. Paulescu was the first to successfully and safely perform a complete in vivo hypophysectomy, opting for an innovative subtemporal method. He also conducted extensive research over four years to identify the gland’s essential functions. Later, a 1938 study by Popa and Harris demonstrated a temporal approach to the hypothalamo-hypophysial region in a rabbit. These groundbreaking contributions significantly influenced the trajectory of pituitary gland surgery. Full article

Acromegaly-related sub/infertility, tidily related to suboptimal disease control (1/2 of cases), correlates with hyperprolactinemia (1/3 of patients), hypogonadotropic hypogonadism—mostly affecting the pituitary axis in hypopituitarism (10–80%), and negative effects of glucose profile (GP) anomalies (10–70%); thus, pregnancy is an exceptional event. Placental GH (Growth Hormone) increases from weeks 5–15 with a peak at week 37, stimulating liver IGF1 and inhibiting pituitary GH secreted by normal hypophysis, not by somatotropinoma. However, estrogens induce a GH resistance status, protecting the fetus form GH excess; thus a full-term, healthy pregnancy may be possible. This is a narrative review of acromegaly that approaches cardio-metabolic features (CMFs), somatotropinoma expansion (STE), management adjustment (MNA) and maternal-fetal outcomes (MFOs) during pregnancy. Based on our method (original, in extenso, English—published articles on PubMed, between January 2012 and September 2022), we identified 24 original papers—13 studies (3 to 141 acromegalic pregnancies per study), and 11 single cases reports (a total of 344 pregnancies and an additional prior unpublished report). With respect to maternal acromegaly, pregnancies are spontaneous or due to therapy for infertility (clomiphene, gonadotropins or GnRH) and, lately, assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs); there are no consistent data on pregnancies with paternal acromegaly. CMFs are the most important complications (7.7–50%), especially concerning worsening of HBP (including pre/eclampsia) and GP anomalies, including gestational diabetes mellitus (DM); the best predictor is the level of disease control at conception (IGF1), and, probably, family history of 2DM, and body mass index. STE occurs rarely (a rate of 0 to 9%); some of it symptoms are headache and visual field anomalies; it is treated with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) or alternatively dopamine agonists (DAs); lately, second trimester selective hypophysectomy has been used less, since pharmaco-therapy (PT) has proven safe. MNA: PT that, theoretically, needs to be stopped before conception—continued if there was STE or an inoperable tumor (no clear period of exposure, preferably, only first trimester). Most data are on octreotide > lanreotide, followed by DAs and pegvisomant, and there are none on pasireotide. Further follow-up is required: a prompt postpartum re-assessment of the mother’s disease; we only have a few data confirming the safety of SSAs during lactation and long-term normal growth and developmental of the newborn (a maximum of 15 years). MFO seem similar between PT + ve and PT − ve, regardless of PT duration; the additional risk is actually due to CMF. One study showed a 2-year median between hypophysectomy and pregnancy. Conclusion: Close surveillance of disease burden is required, particularly, concerning CMF; a personalized approach is useful; the level of statistical evidence is expected to expand due to recent progress in MNA and ART. Full article

Long-term hormone replacement therapy due to panhypopituitarism can lead to serious complications and thus, pituitary transplantation is considered a more desirable. We investigated functional restoration after allotransplatation of the pituitary gland. We transplanted extracted pituitary gland into the omentum of an hypophysectomized rat. Two experiments were performed: (1) to confirm the hypophysectomy was successful and (2) to assess functional restoration after pituitary transplantation. Pituitary hormone level and weight change were consecutively assessed. Electron microscopic (EM) examinations were performed to identify morphological changes at 3 days after transplantation. We confirmed that pituitary gland was properly extracted from 6 rats after sacrifice. The findings showed (1) a weight loss of more than 3% or (2) a weight change of less than 2% along with a decreased growth hormone (GH) level by more than 80% at 2 weeks post-hypophysectomy. A further four rats underwent pituitary transplantation after hypophysectomy and were compared with the previously hypophysectomized rats. All showed rapid weight gain during the two weeks after transplantation. The thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and GH levels were restored at one week post-transplantation and maintained for 10 weeks. Hypophyseal tissue architecture was maintained at 3 days after transplantation, as indicated by EM. These data suggest that a transplanted pituitary gland can survive in the omentum with concomitant partial restoration of anterior pituitary hormones. Full article

Previous studies have shown that ghrelin exhibits a protective and therapeutic effect in the gut. The aim of the present study was to examine whether administration of ghrelin affects the course of acetic acid-induced colitis and to determine what is the role of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in this effect. In sham-operated or hypophysectomized male Wistar rats, colitis was induced by enema with 1 mL of 3% solution of acetic acid. Saline or ghrelin (given at the dose of 8 nmol/kg/dose) was administered intraperitoneally twice a day. Seven days after colitis induction, rats were anesthetized and the severity of the colitis was assessed. Treatment with ghrelin reduced the area of colonic mucosa damage in pituitary-intact rat. This effect was associated with increase in serum levels of GH and IGF-1. Moreover, administration of ghrelin improved blood flow in colonic mucosa and mucosal cell proliferation, as well as reduced mucosal concentration of proinflammatory interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and activity of myeloperoxidase. Hypophysectomy reduced serum levels of GH and IGF-1 and increased the area of colonic damage in rats with colitis. These effects were associated with additional reduction in mucosal blood follow and DNA synthesis when compared to pituitary-intact rats. Mucosal concentration of IL-1β and mucosal activity of myeloperoxidase were maximally increased. Moreover, in hypophysectomized rats, administration of ghrelin failed to affect serum levels of GH or IGF-1, as well as the healing rate of colitis, mucosal cell proliferation, and mucosal concentration of IL-1β, or activity of myeloperoxidase. We conclude that administration of ghrelin accelerates the healing of the acetic acid-induced colitis. Therapeutic effect of ghrelin in experimental colitis is mainly mediated by the release of endogenous growth hormone and IGF-1. Full article