Effects of somatostatin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from non-functioning pituitary tumoral cells incubated in vitro.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of somatostatin (SST) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion from clinically non-functioning pituitary tumors incubated in vitro.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eight pituitary tumors surgically removed were investigated. All of the tumors were diagnosed before surgery as non-functioning. Seven of them were diagnosed after surgery as pituitary adenomas and expressed either gonadotropins or their subunits as detected by immunohistochemistry. Two tumors additionally expressed prolactin and growth hormone. One tumor was immunonegative for pituitary hormones and was diagnosed as haemangiopericytoma. All tumors but one were investigated immunohistochemically to detect the somatostatin receptors and expressed at least 3 of 5 subtypes of somatostatin receptors. The cells isolated from the examined tumors were exposed in vitro to native SST-14. The concentration of VEGF in the culture media was performed by means of ELISA method.

RESULTS: It was found that the exposure on SST-14 resulted in the divergent changes (increase in 4 cases and decrease in 3 cases) in VEGF concentrations in the medium. It seems that the inhibition of VEGF secretion is related to the expression of somatostatin receptor subtypes sst1 and sst2.

CONCLUSIONS: The response of VEGF secretion from pituitary tumoral cells to SST seems to depend on the spectrum of expressed somatostatin receptor subtypes. However, this presumption needs further studies on the larger material.