Effect of Growth Hormone on Vitellogenin Production by Estradiol-17$\beta$ in the Culture of Hepatocytes in the Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Effects of pituitary and thyroid hormones on estradiol-induced vitellogenin (VTG) induction were electrophoretically examined in primary hepatocyte cultures of rainbow trout. Hepatocytes were precultured for 2 days and then estradiol-17 $\beta$ $(E_2,\;2 \times 10^{-6}M)$>, triiodothyronine $(T_3,\;10^{-8}-10^{-6}M)$, bovine growth hormone (bGH, 10-100 ng/ml), ovine prolactin (oPRL, 100-500 ng/ml), and pituitary extract (PE) of rainbow trout (0.75PE/dish) were added to the incubation medium. The hepatocytes were cultured for 7 more days. The addition of oPRL to the incubation medium was not effective in increasing VTG production at any concentrations. The addition of PE to the incubation medium with $E_2$ was not effective in increasing VTG production. The addition of bGH to the incubation medium with $E_2$ was not effective in increasing the rate of VTG production at concentrations of 10-50 ng/ml. However, a higher concentration of bGH, 100 ng/ml, increased VTG production. The various concentrations of $T_3$ were ineffective in stimulating VTG production. These results suggest that GH could be one of stimulus factors for VTG production in rainbow trout.