The anterior pituitary gland is composed of five different cell types secreting hormones whose functions include the regulation of post-natal growth (growth hormone, GH), lactation (prolactin, PRL), reproduction (luteinising hormone, LH, and follicle stimulating hormone, FSH), metabolism (thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH), and stress (adrenocorticotrophic hormone, ACTH). The synthesis and secretion of the anterior pituitary hormones is under the control of neuropeptides released from the hypothalamus into a capillary portal plexus which flows through the external zone of the median eminence to the anterior lobe. This review describes the ways that gene transfer technologies have been applied to whole animals in order to study the regulation of anterior pituitary function by the hypothalamus. The extensive studies on these neuronal systems, within the context of the physiological integrity of the intact organism, not only exemplify the successful application of transgenic technologies to neuroendocrine systems, but also illustrate the problems that have been encountered, and the challenges that lie ahead.

中文翻译：

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下丘脑调节垂体前叶功能的转基因研究

垂体前叶由五种不同类型的细胞组成，分泌激素，其功能包括调节产后生长（生长激素，GH）、泌乳（催乳素，PRL）、繁殖（促黄体激素 LH 和促卵泡激素 FSH） )、代谢（促甲状腺激素，TSH）和压力（促肾上腺皮质激素，ACTH）。垂体前叶激素的合成和分泌受从下丘脑释放到毛细血管门丛中的神经肽的控制，门静脉丛通过正中隆起的外部区域流向前叶。本综述描述了将基因转移技术应用于整个动物以研究下丘脑对垂体前叶功能的调节的方式。对这些神经元系统的广泛研究，