Modulation of pig epidermal adenylate-cyclase responses by protein-synthesis inhibitors: its relation to glucocorticoid and colchicine effects

Regulation of beta 2-adrenergic receptors in keratinocytes: glucocorticoids increase steady-state levels of receptor mRNA in foetal rat keratinizing epidermal cells (FRSK cells)

Glucocorticoids increase the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of epidermal keratinocytes. Using FRSK cells, a cultured cell line of foetal rat keratinocytes, the regulatory mechanism of the beta-adrenergic augmentation effect was investigated. Treatment with dexamethasone (1 x 10(-6) M increase by 1.5-fold the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of FRSK cells. The effect was observed at 6 h incubation and remained for at least 48 h. The prostaglandin E-adenylate cyclase response was also increased 1.5-fold by glucocorticoid treatment. Neither the adenosine-adenylate cyclase response nor cholera toxin- or forskolin-induced cyclic AMP accumulations were altered. Northern blot hybridization showed that levels of the beta 2-adrenergic receptor mRNA increased within 3 h, while actin-, Gs-alpha, Gi-2 alpha, Gi-3 alpha mRNA levels were unchanged. Testosterone, 17 beta-oestradiol, and progesterone had no effect on either the beta 2-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response or the expression of beta 2-adrenergic receptor mRNA. The increase in the numbers of the beta-adrenergic receptors was visualized by immunofluorescence with an antibody specific for the beta 2-adrenergic receptor. Our results indicate that glucocorticoids regulate the beta 2-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of FRSK cells through the enhanced expression of the receptor.

Effects of UVB irradiation on epidermal adenylate cyclase responses in vitro: its relation to sunburn cell formation

UVB irradiation augmented the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of pig skin epidermis in vitro. The effect was observed 2-4 h following the irradiation and lasted at least for 48 h. There was no significant difference in cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity between control and UVB-irradiated epidermis at lower irradiation dose (150 mJ/cm2), which is the dose of the most marked beta-adrenergic augmentation effect. The augmentation effect was specific to the beta-adrenergic system; adenosine and histamine adenylate cyclase responses were unchanged or decreased depending on the irradiation dose. Histologically, marked sunburn-cell formation was observed following the UVB irradiation. It has been suggested that oxygen intermediates generated by ultraviolet radiation participate in sunburn-cell formation. The addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the incubation medium significantly inhibited sunburn-cell formation. On the other hand, the beta-adrenergic augmentation effect was not affected by the addition of SOD. Other scavengers of oxygen intermediates (catalase, catalase + SOD, xanthine, or mannitol) did not inhibit the UVB-induced beta-adrenergic augmentation effect. Further, superoxide-anion generating systems (hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system and acetaldehyde-xanthine oxidase system) revealed no stimulatory effect on the beta-adrenergic response of epidermis. These results indicate that (a) the UVB-induced beta-adrenergic augmentation effect is inherent to skin and does not depend on systemic factors such as inflammatory infiltrates following UVB irradiation; (b) in contrast to sunburn-cell formation, induction of the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response is not directly associated with oxygen intermediates generated by UVB irradiation.

Glucocorticoid-induced modulation of the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of epidermis: its relation to epidermal phospholipase A2 activity

It has been suggested that glucocorticoids produce their biologic effects through the synthesis of phospholipase A2 inhibitor protein (lipocortin) in various cell systems. Recent studies from our laboratory revealed that glucocorticoids augment the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of epidermis and that this effect depends on a protein synthesis mechanism. In order to elucidate the possible mechanism of this glucocorticoid effect in terms of phospholipase A2 activity, an in vitro pig skin incubation system was employed. Mepacrine, a phospholipase A2 inhibitor, augmented the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of epidermis as glucocorticoids. The effect of mepacrine was stronger and was observed earlier than that of glucocorticoid (hydrocortisone). The addition of both mepacrine and hydrocortisone at their optimal concentrations in the incubation medium, resulted in neither an additive nor a synergistic effect on the beta-adrenergic augmentation. On the other hand, melittin, a phospholipase A2 stimulator, depressed the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response. The addition of both melittin and hydrocortisone in the incubation medium resulted in the inhibition of the hydrocortisone-induced beta-adrenergic augmentation effect. Following long-term incubation with hydrocortisone, the epidermal phospholipase A2 activity was significantly decreased. These results indicate that glucocorticoids might affect the beta-adrenergic adenylate cyclase response of epidermis through the synthesis of phospholipase A2 inhibitor protein (lipocortin) as in other cell systems.