A NOVEL METHOD FOR RAPID ENRICHMENT OF LACTOTROPHS FROM DISPERSED ANTERIOR-PITUITARY-CELLS OF THE RAT

A polyclonal antibody to the rat D2 dopamine (DA) receptor was rapidly and covalently attached to surface-activated polystyrene cultureware (MicroCELLector plates). Addition of a suspension of dispersed rat ant erior pituitary cells resulted in the rapid (within 1 h) selection of cells possessing D2 DA receptors (i.e. lactotrophs). Four-fold enrichm ent (from about 20% in the suspension to about 80%) was routinely obta ined, as judged by prolactin (PRL) immunostaining. The enriched cells were virtually free of fibroblasts and were much more homogeneous in a ppearance than untreated cells after 3 days in culture. Lactotroph-enr iched cell cultures displayed similar functional characteristics as un treated cells when assessed by determining dose-response curves for in hibition of PRL secretion by the DA agonist N-propylnorapomorphine. Th is method may be generally applicable for the selective enrichment and purification of desired cell types from heterogeneous mixtures in tis sue dispersions.