Vitamin D-induction of secretory responses in rat pituitary tumour (GH4C1) cells

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25-(OH)2D3) selectively enhances prolactin gene expression in GH4C1 clonal rat pituitary tumour cells. Because this effect requires extracellular Ca2+, we studied the effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 on another Ca2+-dependent process, agonist-induced hormone secretion. Pretreatment with 1,25-(OH)2D3 (1 nmol/l) caused at least 25-fold sensitization of GH4C1 cells to the voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channel agonist BAY K 8644 (methyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-3-nitro-4-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)-pyr idine -5-carboxylate) as a prolactin secretagogue. This inductive effect of 1,25-(OH)2D3 followed a similar time-course to the enhancement of prolactin production. 1,25-(OH)2D3 had no effect on basal or BAY K 8644-induced 45Ca2+ uptake. The Ca2+-selective divalent cation ionophore 11,19,21-trihydroxy-4,6,8,12,14,18,20- heptamethyl-9-oxo-22-(tetrahydro-5 methyl-5-tetra hydro-5-(1-hydroxyethyl)-5-methyl-2-furanyl)-10,16-docosadienoic acid (ionomycin; 12 nmol/l-1.2 mumol/l) caused no significant increase in prolactin secretion in the absence of 1,25-(OH)2D3, but in cells treated with 1,25-(OH)2D3-(1 nmol/l), it increased prolactin secretion by 73% at 12 nmol/l and by a maximum of 98% at 0.12 mumol/l. These data demonstrate that vitamin D markedly enhances the responsiveness of GH4C1 functional pituitary tumour cells to two secretagogues which acts primarily through Ca2+-dependent mechanisms. They support the proposal that 1,25-(OH)2D3 acts in this cultured cell model either by effecting a redistribution of intracellular Ca2+ or by increasing the response of a Ca2+-sensitive effector system, but not by enhancing agonist-induced Ca2+ uptake.