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The neurohypophysial hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, are present as non-covalently bound complexes with their designated neurophysin in the secretory granules of the posterior pituitary. The neurophysins are generally considered to be biologically inert carrier proteins for oxytocin and vasopressin. We have examined the actions of bovine neurophysin-I (bNP-I), bovine neurophysin-II (bNP-II), rat neurophysin (rat NP) and oxytocin on prolactin release using primary cultured rat pituitary cells. A dynamic perifusion system was chosen to test their stimulatory actions. The rat NP and bNP-II stimulated prolactin release. It is a new observation that rat NP and bNP-II stimulate prolactin release from primary cultured rat pituitary cells. The maximum sensitivities, the lowest concentration which stimulate prolactin release, of rat NP, bNP-II, bNP-I and oxytocin in primary cultured cells were 1 nmol/l, 1 nmol/l, 1000 nmol/l and 1 nmol/l respectively. The maximum sensitivities of rat NP and bNP-II were within the physiologically relevant concentrations.

Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 144, 225–231