Cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling in the anterior pituitary gland in health and disease

• Published in: Molecular and cellular endocrinology 2018-03, Vol.463, p.72-86
• Main Authors: Hernández-Ramírez, Laura C., Trivellin, Giampaolo, Stratakis, Constantine A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; cAMP; Cyclic AMP - metabolism; Disease; Health; Humans; Pituitary adenoma; Pituitary gland; Pituitary Gland, Anterior - metabolism; Pituitary Gland, Anterior - pathology; Pituitary Neoplasms - metabolism; Pituitary Neoplasms - pathology; PKA; Second messenger; Signal Transduction; Somatotropinoma
• ISSN: 0303-7207; 1872-8057
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.08.006

The cyclic 3′,5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) was the first among the so-called “second messengers” to be described. It is conserved in most organisms and functions as a signal transducer by mediating the intracellular effects of multiple hormones and neurotransmitters. In this review, we first delineate how different members of the cAMP pathway ensure its correct compartmentalization and activity, mediate the terminal intracellular effects, and allow the crosstalk with other signaling pathways. We then focus on the pituitary gland, where cAMP exerts a crucial function by controlling the responsiveness of the cells to hypothalamic hormones, neurotransmitters and peripheral factors. We discuss the most relevant physiological functions mediated by cAMP in the different pituitary cell types, and summarize the defects affecting this pathway that have been reported in the literature. We finally discuss how a deregulated cAMP pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of pituitary disorders and how it affects the response to therapy. •In the pituitary gland, the cAMP pathway controls cell proliferation and differentiation, hormone synthesis and secretion.•Defects at different levels along the cAMP signaling pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of pituitary disorders.•cAMP pathway defects impair compartmentalization, terminal effects, activity, and crosstalk with other signaling pathways.•The identification of novel therapeutic targets could lead to the next generation of drugs used to treat pituitary diseases.