In recent years, one of the most exciting advances in the researches of pituitary adenomas is the discovery that 30%-40% of human pituitary somatotrophinomas carry somatic mutations of the gene for the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory GTP-binding protein, Gs (Gs alpha). These mutations, termed gsp oncogenes, may play an important role in the tumorigenesis of pituitary adenomas. Of 10 somatotrophinomas examined, 3 (30%) were proved to be gsp positive, as determined by sequence analysis of DNA generated by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). GHRH exerted a significant stimulatory effect on GH secretion in 2 of 3 gsp-positive and 4 of 7 gsp-negative tumors. Moreover, phorbol ester, 1, 2-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), enhanced stimulation of lated the GH secretion effect exerted by GHRH in gsp-positive somatotrophinomas, whereas this effect was not observed in gsp-negative tumors. This result suggests that the protein kinase C signal system as well as adenylyl cyclase-cAMP-protein kinase A intracellular signal transduction system plays a pivotal role in GH secretory control of GHRH, which may work together via a cross-talk mechanism.