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Gehrand AL, Phillips J, Welhouse KD, Siddiqui H, Schulgit M, Hoffman J, Hunt H, Raff H. Glucocorticoid Receptor Antagonist Alters Corticosterone and Receptor-sensitive mRNAs in the Hypoxic Neonatal Rat. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6429713. [PMID: 34791109 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hypoxia, a common stressor with preterm birth, increases morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are administered to the preterm infant to improve oxygenation; prolonged use of GCs remains controversial. We evaluated a selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist (CORT113176) in our neonatal rat model of human prematurity to assess how fasting and hypoxia-induced increases in neonatal corticosterone affects endogenous hormones and endocrine pancreas function. Neonatal rat pups at postnatal day (PD) 2, PD8, and PD15 were pretreated with CORT113176 and, after 60 minutes of separation and fasting, exposed to hypoxia (8% O2) or control (normoxia) for 30 or 60 minutes while fasting was continued. Plasma corticosterone, ACTH, glucose, and insulin were measured and fasting Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance was calculated. Glucocorticoid and insulin receptor-sensitive gene mRNAs were analyzed in liver, muscle, and adipose to evaluate target tissue biomarkers. CORT113176 pretreatment augmented baseline and hypoxia-induced increases in corticosterone and attenuated hypoxia-induced increases in insulin resistance at PD2. Normoxic and hypoxic stress increased the hepatic GR-sensitive gene mRNAs, Gilz and Per1; this was eliminated by pretreatment with CORT113176. CORT113176 pretreatment decreased baseline insulin receptor-sensitive gene mRNAs Akt2, Irs1, Pik3r1, and Srebp1c at PD2. We show that CORT113176 variably augments the stress-induced increases in corticosterone concentrations (attenuation of negative feedback) and that GR is critical for hepatic responses to stress in the hypoxic neonate. We also propose that measurement of Gilz and Per1 mRNA expression may be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of GR antagonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Gehrand
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
| | - Jonathan Phillips
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
| | - Kyle D Welhouse
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Hana Siddiqui
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
| | - Matthew Schulgit
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
| | | | - Hazel Hunt
- Corcept Therapeutics, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Hershel Raff
- Endocrine Research Laboratory, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center, Advocate Aurora Research Institute, Milwaukee, WI 53215, USA
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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Cassarino MF, Sesta A, Pagliardini L, Losa M, Lasio G, Cavagnini F, Pecori Giraldi F. Proopiomelanocortin, glucocorticoid, and CRH receptor expression in human ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas. Endocrine 2017; 55:853-860. [PMID: 27220856 PMCID: PMC5316398 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-016-0990-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
ACTH-secreting pituitary tumors are by definition partially autonomous, i.e., secrete ACTH independent of physiological control. However, only few, small-sized studies on proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and its regulation by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) or glucocorticoids are available. Objective of the present study was to report on constitutive and CRH- and dexamethasone-regulated POMC, CRH (CRH-R1), and glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene expression in a large series of human corticotrope adenomas. Fifty-three ACTH-secreting adenomas were incubated with 10 nM CRH or 10 nM dexamethasone for 24 h. POMC, CRH-R1, NR3C1, and its alpha and beta isoforms were quantified and medium ACTH measured. Constitutive POMC expression proved extremely variable, with macroadenomas exhibiting higher levels than microadenomas. POMC increased during CRH in most specimens; conversely, changes induced by dexamethasone were varied, ranging from decrease to paradoxical increase. No correlation between POMC and ACTH was detected in any experimental condition. CRH-R1 expression was not linked to the response to CRH while NR3C1 was expressed at greater levels in specimens who failed to inhibit during dexamethasone; glucocorticoid receptor α was the more abundant isoform and subject to down-regulation by dexamethasone. Our results demonstrate a considerable variability in POMC expression among tumors and no correlation between POMC and ACTH, suggesting that POMC peptide processing/transport plays a major role in modulating ACTH secretion. Further, CRH-R1 and NR3C1 expression were not linked to the expected ligand-induced outcome, indicating that receptor signaling rather than abundance determines corticotrope responses. Our findings pave the way to new avenues of research into Cushing's disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Francesca Cassarino
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Sesta
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Pagliardini
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Losa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Ospedale San Raffaele IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Lasio
- Department of Neurosurgery, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Cavagnini
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Pecori Giraldi
- Neuroendocrinology Research Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Cusano Milanino, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Piazzale Brescia 20, 20149, Milan, Italy.
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