Original Articles
Human skin expresses growth hormone but not the prolactin gene,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1067/mlc.2000.110605Get rights and content

Abstract

Using sensitive reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods, we showed the expression of mRNA for growth hormone (GH) but not prolactin (PRL) in whole human skin (normal and basal cell carcinoma [BCC]). These RNAs for PRL and GH were below detectability in human epidermal keratinocytes and in human and hamster malignant melanocytes. This is in agreement with previous studies showing GH gene expression in dermal fibroblasts. GH peptide was not detected (by immunocytochemistry) in human skin specimens (normal and pathologic) in either dermal or epidermal compartments. The mRNA coding for the GH mediator insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was detectable in whole skin and in malignant melanocytes. Therefore, in the present investigation of hormonal mediators of the cutaneous (epidermal) response to environmental stress, we have excluded the direct participation of PRL and GH in that reaction. Thus the analogy previously noted between the systemic (central) and skin responses to stress, as represented by cutaneous expression of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis components, does not extend to other pituitary hormones also involved in that response such as PRL and GH. (J Lab Clin Med 2000;136:476-81)

Section snippets

Human tissue

Fresh human skin used for RNA isolation was obtained from tissue discarded after surgical procedures at Albany Medical College or affiliated offices.25 Preparations of RNA were stored at –80°C until the time of analysis. Samples from previously diagnosed skin biopsy samples, including lesional and non-lesional specimens, were cut from paraffin-embedded blocks and used for immunocytochemical analyses. Control experiments were performed in PBMCs obtained from 2 normal female subjects, ages 30 and

Results and discussion

The expression of GH and PRL has been reported previously in dermal fibroblasts.23, 29 We investigated the extent of that expression by testing for the corresponding genes in whole human skin and in cultured epidermal cells. Fig 1 shows the amplification of cDNAs obtained from human melanoma cells (Fig 1, lane 1 ), hamster melanoma cells (Fig 1, lane 2) , HaCaT keratinocytes (Fig 1, lane 3 ), and human PBMCs (Fig 1, lane 4 ).

. RT-PCR amplification of total RNA from cultured melanoma cells, HaCaT

Acknowledgements

We thank Ms Carolyn Cheney for technical help.

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    Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant M001RR00034 from the General Clinical Research Center (W.B.M), by Grant IBN-9896030 from the National Science Foundation (A.S.), and by Grant 99-51 from the American Cancer Society, Illinois Division (A.S.).

    ☆☆

    Reprint requests: Andrzej Slominski, MD, PhD, Department of Pathology, Room 576 BMH Main, University of Tennessee, 899 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38163.

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