Human pituitary glands

It has been found that the growth hormone can be obtained in crystalline form from human pituitary glands by procedures comprising (1) extraction of the fresh glands with acetone, (2) extraction of the acetone residue with aqueous salt solutions, (3) precipitation from aqueous salt solutions by the addition of suitable miscible organic solvents of alkaline and acid pH, and finally crystallization from aqueous salt solutions by the addition of suitable miscible organic solvents. 

GH has a potentially wide range of therapeutic uses (Table 11.6). To date, however, its major application has been for the treatment of short stature. hGH extracted from human pituitary glands was first used to treat pituitary dwarfism (i.e. caused by suboptimal pituitary GH secretion) in 1958. It has subsequently proven effective in the treatment of short stature caused by a variety of other conditions, including ... 

CYP3A5 mRNA identified by RT-PCR in human pituitary gland and localized by IHC to growth hormone containing cells of the anterior pituitary (Murray et al., 1995). 

F. Role in therapy Somatropin (rDNA origin) is a safe alternative to growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands, which carries the risk of viral contamination. Pituitary-derived growth hormone has been withdrawn from the... 

Pituitary Growth Factor (from human pituitary gland). Purified by heparin and copper affinity chromatography, followed by carboxymethyl cellulose (Whatman 52). [Rowe et al. Biochemistry 25 6421 7956]. 

Creutzfeld-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans, which has been attributed to repeated parenteral administration of growth hormone and gonadotropin derived from human pituitary glands. 

A few cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease have been transmitted by corneal transplantation, dural transplantation, surgical equipment, and human growth hormone extracted from human pituitary glands (195). This has of course raised concern that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease might prove to be transmissible by blood and blood products (196). The concern has been further accentuated by recent fears of transmission bovine spongiform encephalopathy through food consumption by humans. Some manufacturers of plasma products have reacted by recalling products from the market (197). 

Fatal viral infections resulting from the use of contaminated human tissue or fluids as components of medicines are well recorded. Examples of this include human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of haemophiliacs by contaminated and inadequately treated factor VIII products made from pooled human blood, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) from injections of human growth hormone derived from human pituitary glands, some of which were infected. 

R18. Rosemberg, E., and Albert, A., Effect of tannation on the activity of a gonadotrophin extract of human pituitary glands. Endocrinology 82, 187-190 (1968). 

Saxena, B. B., and Rathman, P., Purification of follicle-stimulating hormone from human pituitary glands. J. Biol. Chem. 242, 3769-3775 (1967). 

Stookell Hartree, A., Separation and partial purification of protein hormones from the human pituitary glands. Biochem. J. 100, 754-761 (1966). 

Fagotto U, Marsicano G, Fezza F, Theodoropoulou M, Grubler Y Arzberger T, Milone A, Losa M, Di Marzo V, Lutz B, Stalla GK (2001) Normal human pituitary gland and pituitary adenomas express cannabinoid receptor type 1 and synthesise endogenous cannabinoids first evidence for a direct role of cannabinoids on hormone modulation at the human pituitary level. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86 2687-2696... 

Less than 50 years after the discovery of oxytocin in 1904 by Sir Henry Dale, who found that an extract from the human pituitary gland contracted the uterus of a pregnant cat, the biochemist du Vigneud synthesized the cyclic peptide hormone. His work resulted in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1955. 

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