Cadmium stimulates anterior pituitary lactotroph proliferation.

Anterior pituitary cells were treated with vehicle (control), 10 nM Cd or 1 nM E2 for 96 h. Cell growth was determined by ICC measuring 24 h-BrdU incorporation. Lactotrophs were identified by prolactin-specific antibody and cell nuclei were stained by DAPI. Pictures are representative of three independent experiments performed in triplicate. Bars represent the mean ± SE of BrdU-labeling index expressed as positive BrdU lactrotroph / total lactotroph cell number x100. ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer’s test, **p<0.001 vs. control (N=3).