ABSTRACT

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) may be one of the most important local growth factors in human fetal adrenals (HFAs), where its mRNA levels are upregulated by ACTH. We have investigated whether protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent mechanisms and various polypeptide growth factors participate in the regulation of IGF-II gene expression in cultured HFA cells, and whether HFA cells secrete IGF-II peptide into the culture medium. ACTH enhanced IGF-II mRNA accumulation dose- and time-dependently, maximally four- to sixfold, and this increase was inhibited dose-dependently (0·01-100 μg/l) by 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a PKC activator. TPA decreased basal IGF-II mRNA levels by approximately 55%. Staurosporine, a PKC inhibitor, abolished the inhibitory effects of TPA and induced accumulation of IGF-II mRNA. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP, cholera toxin and forskolin increased IGF-II mRNA accumulation as much as ACTH, and TPA inhibited these stimulations in a similar way. ACTH increased the IGF-II peptide concentration in most experiments, but this increase was modest in comparison with IGF-II mRNA changes. TPA, although it decreased IGF-II mRNA levels, tended to increase IGF-II peptide in the medium. Additions of GH, IGF-I and IGF-II to the cell culture medium also increased IGF-II mRNA accumulation. Transforming growth factor-β1 inhibited IGF-II mRNA accumulation to the same extent as TPA. Epidermal growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor did not change IGF-II mRNA levels. Our results confirm previous reports that ACTH is an important regulator of IGF-II in human fetal adrenals, and show that IGF-II gene expression is under multifactorial control, which includes the PKC system and polypeptide growth factors.

Journal of Endocrinology (1993) 137, 533–542

Inhibins are gonadal glycoprotein hormones whose main endocrine function is to inhibit pituitary FSH secretion. In addition to testes and ovaries, other steroid-producing organs are sites of inhibin alpha subunit expression. To study the role of inhibins in human adrenal gland, we screened a panel of 150 adrenals (10 normal adrenals, 25 adrenocortical hyperplasias, 65 adrenocortical adenomas, 30 adrenocortical carcinomas and 20 phaeochromocytomas) for inhibin alpha expression. mRNA levels of inhibin alpha subunit were studied in 57 samples and all tissues were stained immunohistochemically with an inhibin alpha subunit-specific antibody. Inhibin alpha mRNA was detected in all adrenocortical tissues. Virilizing adenomas possessed a 10-fold higher median inhibin alpha mRNA expression than did normal adrenals. Bilaterally and nodularly hyperplastic adrenals and other than virilizing adrenocortical tumours had their median inhibin alpha mRNA levels close to those of normal adrenals. Immunohistochemically, inhibin alpha subunit was detectable in all normal and hyperplastic adrenals, as well as in 73% of the adrenocortical tumours. However, the percentage of inhibin alpha-positive cells varied greatly in different tumour types. The median percentage of positive cells was 10 in non-functional and Conn's adenomas, 30 in Cushing's adenomas and 75 in virilizing adenomas. In malignant adrenocortical tumours the median percentage of inhibin alpha-immunopositive cells was 20 in non-functional carcinomas, 30 in Conn's carcinomas, 65 in Cushing's carcinomas and 75 in virilizing carcinomas. All phaeochromocytomas were negative for inhibin alpha subunit both at the mRNA level and immunohistochemically. Our data show that inhibin alpha subunit is highly expressed in both normal and neoplastic androgen-producing adrenocortical cells, with less expression in cortisol-producing and hardly any in aldosterone-producing cells. This suggests a specific role for inhibins in the regulation of adrenal androgen production. We did not find any significant difference in inhibin alpha expression between benign and malignant adrenocortical tumours. Thus inhibin alpha gene does not seem to have a tumour suppressor role in human adrenal cortex.