Does ghrelin exert a proliferative effect on a rat pituitary somatotroph cell line via the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway?
We have shown a novel role for ghrelin in stimulating the proliferation of a somatotroph pituitary tumour cell line, suggesting that ERK activation is involved in mediating the effects of ghrelin on cell proliferation. Desoctanoyl ghrelin showed a similar effect. As ghrelin has been shown to be expressed in both normal and adenomatous pituitary tissue, locally produced ghrelin may play a role in pituitary tumorigenesis via an autocrine/paracrine pathway.
Estrogen replacement therapy is associated with increased exercise capacity as measured by MVO (2) and anaerobic threshold in postmenopausal women without coronary artery disease. This finding is consistent with the beneficial effect of short-term estrogen administration on improved endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation.