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Over the last 3 years, two rather disparate areas of biological research have come together unexpectedly, and the information that is emerging may not only fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge of the mechanism of stimulation of steroidogenesis, but also gives new insights into potential interactions between the nervous and endocrine systems. Benzodiazepine drugs are widely used therapeutically because of their sedative and anxiolytic effects, which are known to be mediated through modulation of GABAA receptors in the central nervous system. However, there is another recognition site for these drugs, termed the peripheral (or mitochondrial) benzodiazepine receptor, which is found in a wide variety of non-neural sites in the body, including the pituitary, testis, ovary and adrenal cortex. It has recently been proposed that this benzodiazepine receptor plays a central role in the regulation of steroidogenesis by controlling the rate-limiting step in the steroid biosynthetic pathway
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It is exactly 40 years since the first dramatic (and almost totally unpredicted) report that cortisone inhibited inflammation and reduced the symptoms of arthritis (Hench, Kendall, Slocumb & Polley, 1949). Since then, the history of the use of glucocorticoids as anti-inflammatory agents has become almost a matter of common knowledge. First hailed as miracle drugs but then found to have very dangerous side-effects if used indiscriminately (Gaunt, 1974), it nevertheless remains true that glucocorticoids are still very widely prescribed since they can be used to suppress almost any type of inflammation. In view of this long history it is surprising that it is only recently there has been significant progress in the understanding of the cellular mechanisms by which glucocorticoids inhibit inflammation. Moreover, the information that has accumulated has had the unforeseen effect of drawing together several apparently unrelated fields of research, and in some ways it might seem to
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ABSTRACT
Using the in-situ, isolated, perfused rat adrenal preparation, we have investigated the effects of changes in the rate of perfusate flow through the gland, brought about both mechanically and by the use of vasoactive agents, in the absence of known adrenocortical stimulants. Adenosine caused a significant increase in the rate of perfusate flow through the adrenal, with a concomitant rise in corticosterone, but not aldosterone, secretion. Adrenaline, on the other hand, caused a decrease in the rate of perfusate flow through the gland, accompanied by a decrease in the rate of steroid secretion. Futhermore, increases in the rate of delivery of perfusate to the gland, brought about by increasing the peristaltic pump rate, caused a large increase in corticosterone secretion, although aldosterone was unaffected. Neither adenosine nor a mechanically increased rate of perfusate delivery increased steroid secretion by collagenase-dispersed rat adrenocortical cells superfused on a Sephadex column. These results suggest the existence of hitherto unsuspected intraglandular mechanisms for the control of steroid secretion.
J. Endocr. (1986) 111, 391–396
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ABSTRACT
The actions of forskolin have been investigated to determine to what extent its effects on steroidogenesis in rat adrenal preparations are dependent on activation of adenylate cyclase. In zona glomerulosa preparations, stimulation of both aldosterone and corticosterone production was obtained at concentrations of forskolin between 1 and 10 μmol/l. The effects of 10 μmol forskolin/l were additive with those of low doses (1 pmol/l) of corticotrophin (ACTH), but not with those of high doses (1 nmol/l) of ACTH. In contrast, in zona fasciculata/reticularis cells, doses of forskolin up to 10 μmol/l produced no significant stimulation of corticosterone production either alone or in the presence of ACTH (1 pmol/l and 1 nmol/l). The response to 1 nmol ACTH/l was attenuated in the presence of forskolin (10 μmol/l) in both zona glomerulosa and zona fasciculata/reticularis cell preparations. Cyclic AMP production increased progressively with dose up to 100 μmol forskolin/l in zona glomerulosa cells, whereas corticosterone production was maximal between 10 and 30 μmol forskolin/l and decreased at 100 μmol forskolin/l. In zona fasciculata/reticularis cells, cyclic AMP production was also increased by forskolin (1 and 10 μmol/l).
The stimulation of zona glomerulosa steroido-genesis by forskolin (1–10 μmol/l) and ACTH (1–100 pmol/l) were both reduced by the adenylate cyclase inhibitor, N 6-phenylisopropyladenosine (100 μmol/l). The calcium channel inhibitor, nifedipine, only reduced the steroidogenic response to forskolin (3 μmol/l) at doses of 300 μmol/l whereas the response to 8·4 mmol K+/l was inhibited at 10 μmol nifedipine/1. Although there is some dissociation between the effects of forskolin on cyclic AMP and steroidogenesis, the results are generally consistent with the view that the effects of forskolin in rat zona glomerulosa cells are mainly dependent on activation of adenylate cyclase. This contrasts with the effects of forskolin in bovine fasciculata cells which are reported to be mediated by activation of voltage-regulated calcium channels.
Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 129, 391–397
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ABSTRACT
The effects of prior sodium depletion on the steroidogenic responses of the rat adrenal gland have been investigated using a method of perfusing the isolated adrenal gland of the rat in situ. Secretion rates of aldosterone in response to the known adrenocortical stimulants ACTH, angiotensin II amide and α-MSH were measured. In each case, the adrenals from sodium-deplete animals responded to a lower dose of the stimulant than the normal animals. This resulted in a 10-fold increase in sensitivity to ACTH, a 100-fold increase in sensitivity to angiotensin II amide, and a 1000-fold increased sensitivity to α-MSH, bringing the threshold concentration required for aldosterone secretion into the physiological range of α-MSH concentrations.
The perfused adrenal gland is particularly sensitive to angiotensin II amide; a bolus administration of 1 amol gave a significant increase in aldosterone secretion in the sodium-deplete group.
These data confirm previous reports of increased adrenal sensitivity to α-MSH and angiotensin II in sodium depletion, and also suggest the existence of intraglandular mechanisms for signal amplification which may be involved in mediating the adrenal response to very small concentrations of stimulant.
J. Endocr. (1988) 119, 83–88
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Department of Biochemistry, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, Charterhouse Square, London ecim 6bq
Department of Biology, Boston University, 2 Cummington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, U.S.A.
Department of Physiology, Queen Elizabeth College, Campden Hill Road, London w8 7ah
received 25 July 1984
INTRODUCTION
The circulation of the adrenal gland has been studied mostly from an anatomical point of view, often by observing the distribution of injected materials chosen in one way or another for their capacity to improve the visibility of vessels. This has led to some fundamentally different views on the organization of the vasculature, particularly with regard to the degree of separation of cortical and medullary circulation. Furthermore, while it has been recognized that circulatory changes are part of the overall response of the gland to stimulation, the way in which this can be achieved has been the subject of only limited direct study.
It seems essential
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ABSTRACT
It is possible that some of the effects of sodium pentobarbitone on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in the intact animal may be attributable to direct actions on the adrenal cortex. The effects of the barbiturate on steroid production by rat adrenal preparations in vitro have therefore been examined. In zona glomerulosa cells, pentobarbitone inhibited basal steroid production in a dose-related fashion. For aldosterone and corticosterone, the doses required for 50% inhibition of production (IC50) were 1·2 mmol pentobarbitone/l and 3·7 mmol/l respectively. Steroidogenesis was inhibited at lower levels of pentobarbitone in the presence of 1 nmol ACTH/l (IC50 = 0·5 mmol pentobarbitone/l for aldosterone and 2·2 mmol/l for corticosterone). In zona fasciculata/reticularis cells, production of corticosterone was similarly reduced with an IC50 of 2·8 mmol pentobarbitone/l for basal production and 1·3 mmol/l for ACTH-stimulated production. The dose-related increases in corticosterone production produced by ACTH (0·1–1000 pmol/l) or dibutyryl cyclic AMP (0·1–1·0 mmol/l) were also eliminated in the presence of 2 mmol pentobarbitone/l. The effects of pentobarbitone (1–4 mmol/l) on the production of pregnenolone and deoxycorticosterone (DOC) were also studied. In zona fasciculata/reticularis cells, the responses of both pregnenolone and DOC were bell-shaped with increases at 1 mmol pentobarbitone/l, which fell back to control levels at 4 mmol pentobarbitone/l. Stimulation of DOC, accompanied by decreases in aldosterone and corticosterone production, was also seen in zona glomerulosa cells at 1 mmol pentobarbitone/l.
The effect of 1 mmol pentobarbitone/l on the conversion of 22(R)-hydroxycholesterol (5-cholestene-3β,22(R)-diol), pregnenolone, progesterone and DOC to corticosterone and aldosterone by zona glomerulosa preparations was studied. There was a comparable reduction in the conversion of these precursors (2 μmol/l) to aldosterone with yields decreased to 20–30% of those found in the absence of pentobarbitone. The dose required for 50% reduction of the conversion of progesterone (2 μmol/l) to aldosterone was 0·55 mmol pentobarbitone/l and for corticosterone the dose was 1·75 mmol pentobarbitone/l.
The results obtained show that pentobarbitone is an effective inhibitor of corticosteroid biosynthesis in rat adrenal cells, and suggest that its effects are brought about by inhibition of cytochrome P450-mediated hydroxylations.
Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 136, 75–83
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ABSTRACT
Accumulated data from in-vitro experiments have suggested that 18-hydroxysteroids may be stored within the intact rat adrenal zona glomerulosa. The phenomenon was further investigated by comparing the amount of steroid remaining in the zona glomerulosa tissue with that secreted into the media during incubation in vitro. The results showed that 18-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC) and 18-hydroxycorticosterone (18-OH-B) were retained within the tissue against a considerable concentration gradient, with smaller amounts of aldosterone and corticosterone. Lysis of the intact zona glomerulosa, by preincubation in distilled water, yielded an enriched plasma membrane preparation. After subsequent incubation in Krebs–Ringer bicarbonate this preparation contained significantly more 18-OH-DOC than did the intact tissue, suggesting that tissuesequestered 18-OH-DOC is normally metabolized to other products. These may include 18-OH-B and aldosterone.
Fractionation of homogenized intact zona glomerulosa and the enriched plasma membrane preparation by density gradient centrifugation showed that tissue 18-OH-DOC banded in fractions of density 1·063– 1·21 g/ml and that its distribution was highly correlated with protein. Corticosterone, 18-OH-B and aldosterone banded like added free [3H]18-OH-DOC in fractions of density < 1·006 g/ml.
The results suggest that 18-OH-DOC is the major sequestered steroid within the rat adrenal zona glomerulosa and that this sequestration is attributable to the association of 18-OH-DOC with a high-density component of the plasma membrane.
J. Endocr. (1988) 117, 191–196
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Rat adrenal capsules incubated with [3H]18-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC) and [3H]18-hydroxycorticosterone gave appreciable yields of aldosterone from both precursors, similar in size to those obtained from labelled corticosterone, deoxycorticosterone and progesterone under the same conditions. After feeding rats for 14 days on a flour diet deficient in sodium, aldosterone production from endogenous precursors in vitro was increased twofold compared with that by adrenal glands from animals receiving the flour diet with 1% sodium chloride added (control diet). When adrenal capsules from animals on the low-sodium flour diet were incubated with high specific activity [3H]18-OH-DOC (sp. act. 40 Ci/mmol), the yield of [3H]aldosterone was increased two- to threefold compared with that produced by capsules from animals on the control diet. When capsules were incubated with low specific activity [3H] 18-OH-DOC and [14C]corticosterone (sp. act. 52 mCi/mmol) only the yield of [14C]aldosterone was increased. Yields of labelled 18-hydroxycorticosterone from all precursors tested were increased three- to fourfold in animals receiving the low-sodium diet relative to the controls.
The results show that 18-OH-DOC can be an effective precursor for aldosterone formation by rat adrenal capsules, and that production of aldosterone and 18-hydroxycorticosterone from this precursor can be stimulated by a low-sodium diet. This suggests the existence of an alternative pathway for aldosterone biosynthesis involving 18-OH-DOC as an intermediate.
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ABSTRACT
Mast cells were identified in the rat adrenal gland, located in the walls of arterioles at the point at which they penetrate the connective tissue capsule. The mast cell products, histamine and serotonin, both caused dose-dependent increases in rates of perfusion medium flow and steroid secretion in the isolated, perfused rat adrenal gland in situ. Compound 48–80, a mast cell degranulator, caused a significant increase in perfusion medium flow rate and steroid secretion by the in-situ perfused rat adrenal. Administration of disodium cromoglycate, a mast cell stabilizer, before administration of ACTH(1–24) virtually abolished the normal flow rate increment and significantly attenuated the corticosterone secretory response to ACTH(1–24).
These observations strongly suggest that adrenal mast cells modulate both vascular and secretory responses in the intact adrenal gland of the rat.
Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 121, 253–260
