Morphometric analysis of the human anterior pituitary's folliculostellate cells during the aging process

Pavlović, Miljana; Jovanović, Ivan; Ugrenović, Slađana; Vasović, Ljiljana; Krstić, Miljan; Bakić, Mirjana; Živković, Vladimir; Stojanović, Vesna

doi:10.1016/j.aanat.2012.11.002

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…FS cells, known to encompass pituitary stem cells, are decreased in number in old rats [from 4.5 cells per reference area in young rats to 1.5 in old rats (81)]. However, in human pituitary, FS cell number was found to be expanded (82), an increase which might be grounded in the stem cell fraction of the heterogeneous FS cell population, but also in the stromal or immune subpopulations. In other tissues like muscle and heart, it has been observed that the stem cell population is negatively affected by age, presenting as a decline in number and in regenerative capacity (68)(69)(70)(71).…”

Section: Pituitary Stem Cells During Agingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pituitary Remodeling Throughout Life: Are Resident Stem Cells Involved?

2021

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The pituitary gland has the primordial ability to dynamically adapt its cell composition to changing hormonal needs of the organism throughout life. During the first weeks after birth, an impressive growth and maturation phase is occurring in the gland during which the distinct hormonal cell populations expand. During pubertal growth and development, growth hormone (GH) levels need to peak which requires an adaptive enterprise in the GH-producing somatotrope population. At aging, pituitary function wanes which is associated with organismal decay including the somatopause in which GH levels drop. In addition to these key time points of life, the pituitary’s endocrine cell landscape plastically adapts during specific (patho-)physiological conditions such as lactation (need for PRL) and stress (engagement of ACTH). Particular resilience is witnessed after physical injury in the (murine) gland, culminating in regeneration of destroyed cell populations. In many other tissues, adaptive and regenerative processes involve the local stem cells. Over the last 15 years, evidence has accumulated that the pituitary gland houses a resident stem cell compartment. Recent studies propose their involvement in at least some of the cell remodeling processes that occur in the postnatal pituitary but support is still fragmentary and not unequivocal. Many questions remain unsolved such as whether the stem cells are key players in the vivid neonatal growth phase and whether the decline in pituitary function at old age is associated with decreased stem cell fitness. Furthermore, the underlying molecular mechanisms of pituitary plasticity, in particular the stem cell-linked ones, are still largely unknown. Pituitary research heavily relies on transgenic in vivo mouse models. While having proven their value, answers to pituitary stem cell-focused questions may more diligently come from a novel powerful in vitro research model, termed organoids, which grow from pituitary stem cells and recapitulate stem cell phenotype and activation status. In this review, we describe pituitary plasticity conditions and summarize what is known on the involvement and phenotype of pituitary stem cells during these pituitary remodeling events.

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Section: Pituitary Stem Cells During Agingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pituitary Remodeling Throughout Life: Are Resident Stem Cells Involved?

2021

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“…Modification of the number, size and morphological relationship of FS and endocrine cells in different physiological states, 38,69,70 as well as with age, 71,72 has been described, suggesting an altered function, although it is possible that FS cells play a more fundamental role.…”

Section: Fs Cell Role In Pituitary Plasticity Memory and Fine-tuning Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Renewing an old interest: Pituitary folliculostellate cells

Tissier

Mollard

2021

J Neuroendocrinology

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Increasingly, neuroendocrine research focuses on its potential for an impact of novel findings on highly-prevalent human health problems, in particular those where the underlying physiology and its dysfunction is poorly understood. Research on the pituitary, the master gland relaying hormonal information between the brain and many peripheral tissues, cannot escape this trend, as exemplified by the growing hope of regenerative medicine with the recent discovery of adult stem cells in the pituitary parenchyma. One exciting aspect of stem cell therapy is its potential to correct a number of pituitary disorders with aetiologies that are poorly understood. This focus on stem cells and their potential may explain how a subpopulation of pituitary cells, devoid of secretory granules, has changed from being described as folliculostellate (FS) cells (coined by Evelyne Vila-Porcile in 1972 1 ) to adult Sox2+ve stem cells. Recent studies have highlighted an important aspect of these stem cells, in that they are the

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“…Aside from their possible function in gonadotroph tumours and other PitNETs, one may question whether FS cells may act as “gatekeeper” cells involved in maintaining normal structure and function of the APG, and whether their loss might favour the onset of pituitary tumours. Studies on the normal human APG have shown an increased presence of S100B + cells with age, especially after the age of 70 [ 45 , 46 ], and proposed that the increased presence of these cells represents the successful modality of APG aging [ 45 ]. Given the multiple roles FS cells have in the normal APG through paracrine [ 17 , 22 ] and physical actions [ 47 , 48 ], it appears indeed possible that these cells are necessary to maintain a normal tissue structure and function.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intratumoural spatial distribution of S100B + folliculostellate cells is associated with proliferation and expression of FSH and ERα in gonadotroph tumours

Ilie

Vasiljevic

Chanal

et al. 2022

acta neuropathol commun

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Folliculostellate cells are S100B-expressing cells with numerous functions in the normal anterior pituitary. These cells have also been identified in pituitary neuroendocrine tumours (PitNETs), where their precise role remains elusive. Here, we aimed to build a refined cartography of S100B-expressing cells to characterise their interpatient and intratumoural spatial distribution, and to start identifying their potential functions in PitNETs. High-throughput histological analysis of S100B-stained tumour sections of 54 PitNETs revealed a significant decrease in S100B + cells in PitNETs compared to the normal anterior pituitary. A Ki67 index ≥ 3, a mitosis count > 2/10 per high power fields, and a proliferative status, were all associated with fewer S100B + cells in gonadotroph tumours. Gonadotroph tumours also showed interpatient and intratumoural heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of S100B + cells. The existence of an intratumoural heterogeneity was further confirmed by the incorporation to our spatial analysis of additional markers: Ki67, FSH, LH, ERα and SSTR2. The tumour areas with fewer S100B + cells displayed a higher percentage of Ki67 + cells, whereas strong positive correlations were observed between S100B + , FSH + , and ERα + cells. Such spatial associations suggest that S100B + folliculostellate cells could play a role in gonadotroph tumorigenesis, and may contribute to the maintenance of tumour cells in a low proliferating, FSH + /ERα + differentiated state. Albeit, further in-depth functional studies are required to decipher the mechanisms underlying these spatial associations and to potentially identify a therapeutic use.

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Morphometric analysis of the human anterior pituitary's folliculostellate cells during the aging process

Cited by 7 publications

References 20 publications

Pituitary Remodeling Throughout Life: Are Resident Stem Cells Involved?

Pituitary Remodeling Throughout Life: Are Resident Stem Cells Involved?

Renewing an old interest: Pituitary folliculostellate cells

Intratumoural spatial distribution of S100B + folliculostellate cells is associated with proliferation and expression of FSH and ERα in gonadotroph tumours

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