Somatostatin inhibits basal and vasoactive intestinal peptide-stimulated hormone release by different mechanisms in GH pituitary cells.

Somatostatin (SRIF) inhibits both basal and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-stimulated hormone secretion by the GH4C1 clonal strain of rat pituitary tumor cells. We have previously shown that SRIF inhibits cAMP accumulation stimulated by VIP but does not alter basal cAMP levels in this cell line. To determine the importance of changes in cAMP accumulation in the mechanism of SRIF action, we have compared the effect of SRIF on hormone release stimulated by VIP and two other secretagogues which increase effective intracellular cAMP concentrations: forskolin and 8-Bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP). VIP stimulated GH and PRL secretion to the same maximal extent (220% of control) with similar ED50 values (0.37 +/- 0.03 and 0.43 +/- 0.08 nM, mean +/- SE, respectively). SRIF (100 nM) reduced maximal VIP-stimulation of both GH and PRL release from 220 to 140% of control; however, it did not significantly change the ED50 values for VIP. The effect of SRIF on VIP-stimulated hormone release parallels its action on VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation. Furthermore, the concentrations of SRIF required to produce half-maximal inhibition of VIP-stimulated GH and PRL release (0.8 +/- 0.2 nM and 0.7 +/- 0.1 nM, respectively) were similar to its potency to inhibit VIP-stimulated cAMP accumulation (1.2 +/- 0.1 nM). These data indicate that changes in cAMP levels mediate inhibition of VIP-stimulated hormone secretion by SRIF. Forskolin increased cAMP accumulation with an ED50 value of 2.4 +/- 0.5 microM. A maximal concentration of forskolin (100 microM) stimulated cAMP accumulation to a greater extent than 100 nM VIP (34 +/- 4-fold vs. 9 +/- 1-fold). Together, forskolin (100 microM) and VIP (100 nM) stimulated cAMP accumulation by more than 50-fold. However, PRL secretion in response to maximal concentrations of VIP or forskolin individually or together were the same (approximately 200% of control). These results support the conclusion that both compounds stimulate PRL secretion by a cAMP-mediated mechanism which can be fully activated by either one alone.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)