1
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Xu C. Extra-adrenal aldosterone: a mini review focusing on the physiology and pathophysiology of intrarenal aldosterone. Endocrine 2024; 83:285-301. [PMID: 37847370 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-023-03566-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the existence of extra-adrenal aldosterone in various tissues, including the brain, heart, vascular, adipocyte, and kidney, mainly based on the detection of the CYP11B2 (aldosterone synthase, cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily B, polypeptide 2) expression using semi-quantitative methods including reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and antibody-based western blotting, as well as local tissue aldosterone levels by antibody-based immunosorbent assays. This mini-review highlights the current evidence and challenges in extra-adrenal aldosterone, focusing on intrarenal aldosterone. METHODS A narrative review. RESULTS Locally synthesized aldosterone may play a vital role in various physio-pathological processes, especially cardiovascular events. The site of local aldosterone synthesis in the kidney may include the mesangial cells, podocytes, proximal tubules, and collecting ducts. The synthesis of renal aldosterone may be regulated by (pro)renin receptor/(pro)renin, angiotensin II/Angiotensin II type 1 receptor, wnt/β-catenin, cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2, and klotho. Enhanced renal aldosterone release promotes Na+ reabsorption and K+ excretion in the distal nephron and may contribute to the progress of diabetic nephropathy and salt-related hypertension. CONCLUSIONS Inhibition of intrarenal aldosterone signaling by aldosterone synthase inhibitors or mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists may be a hopeful pharmacological technique for the therapy of diabetic nephropathy and saltrelated hypertension. Yet, current reports are often conflicting or ambiguous, leading many to question whether extra-adrenal aldosterone exists, or whether it is of any physiological and pathophysiological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanming Xu
- Translational Medicine Centre, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330002, Jiangxi, China.
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2
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Mysiewicz SC, Hawks SM, Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Differential Functional Contribution of BK Channel Subunits to Aldosterone-Induced Channel Activation in Vascular Smooth Muscle and Eventual Cerebral Artery Dilation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108704. [PMID: 37240049 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Calcium/voltage-activated potassium channels (BK) control smooth muscle (SM) tone and cerebral artery diameter. They include channel-forming α and regulatory β1 subunits, the latter being highly expressed in SM. Both subunits participate in steroid-induced modification of BK activity: β1 provides recognition for estradiol and cholanes, resulting in BK potentiation, whereas α suffices for BK inhibition by cholesterol or pregnenolone. Aldosterone can modify cerebral artery function independently of its effects outside the brain, yet BK involvement in aldosterone's cerebrovascular action and identification of channel subunits, possibly involved in steroid action, remains uninvestigated. Using microscale thermophoresis, we demonstrated that each subunit type presents two recognition sites for aldosterone: at 0.3 and ≥10 µM for α and at 0.3-1 µM and ≥100 µM for β1. Next, we probed aldosterone on SM BK activity and diameter of middle cerebral artery (MCA) isolated from β1-/- vs. wt mice. Data showed that β1 leftward-shifted aldosterone-induced BK activation, rendering EC50~3 μM and ECMAX ≥ 10 μM, at which BK activity increased by 20%. At similar concentrations, aldosterone mildly yet significantly dilated MCA independently of circulating and endothelial factors. Lastly, aldosterone-induced MCA dilation was lost in β1-/- mice. Therefore, β1 enables BK activation and MCA dilation by low µM aldosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven C Mysiewicz
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Sydney M Hawks
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
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3
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Lin YC, Papadopoulos V. Neurosteroidogenic enzymes: CYP11A1 in the central nervous system. Front Neuroendocrinol 2021; 62:100925. [PMID: 34015388 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurosteroids, steroid hormones synthesized locally in the nervous system, have important neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects in the central nervous system. Progress in neurosteroid research has led to the successful translation of allopregnanolone into an approved therapy for postpartum depression. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the assumption that steroidogenesis is exactly the same between the nervous system and the periphery. This review focuses on CYP11A1, the only enzyme currently known to catalyze the first reaction in steroidogenesis to produce pregnenolone, the precursor to all other steroids. Although CYP11A1 mRNA has been found in brain of many mammals, the presence of CYP11A1 protein has been difficult to detect, particularly in humans. Here, we highlight the discrepancies in the current evidence for CYP11A1 in the central nervous system and propose new directions for understanding neurosteroidogenesis, which will be crucial for developing neurosteroid-based therapies for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqi Christina Lin
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Vassilios Papadopoulos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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4
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Ferreira NS, Tostes RC, Paradis P, Schiffrin EL. Aldosterone, Inflammation, Immune System, and Hypertension. Am J Hypertens 2021; 34:15-27. [PMID: 32820797 PMCID: PMC7891246 DOI: 10.1093/ajh/hpaa137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aldosterone is a mineralocorticoid hormone that controls body fluid and electrolyte balance. Excess aldosterone is associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Inflammation plays a critical role on vascular damage promoted by aldosterone and aggravates vascular abnormalities, including endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling, fibrosis and oxidative stress, and other manifestations of end-organ damage that are associated with hypertension, other forms of cardiovascular disease, and diabetes mellitus and the metabolic syndrome. Over the past few years, many studies have consistently shown that aldosterone activates cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Macrophages and T cells accumulate in the kidneys, heart, and vasculature in response to aldosterone, and infiltration of immune cells contributes to end-organ damage in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Aldosterone activates various subsets of innate immune cells such as dendritic cells and monocytes/macrophages, as well as adaptive immune cells such as T lymphocytes, and, by activation of mineralocorticoid receptors stimulates proinflammatory transcription factors and the production of adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. This review will briefly highlight some of the studies on the involvement of aldosterone in activation of innate and adaptive immune cells and its impact on the cardiovascular system. Since aldosterone plays a key role in many cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, these data will open up promising perspectives for the identification of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prevention and treatment of diseases associated with increased levels of aldosterone, such as arterial hypertension, obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanne S Ferreira
- Hypertension and Vascular Research Unit, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Rita C Tostes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Pierre Paradis
- Hypertension and Vascular Research Unit, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ernesto L Schiffrin
- Hypertension and Vascular Research Unit, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Sir Mortimer B. Davis-Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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5
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Wang X, Wen H, Li Y, Lyu L, Song M, Zhang Y, Li J, Yao Y, Li J, Qi X. Characterization of CYP11A1 and its potential role in sex asynchronous gonadal development of viviparous black rockfish Sebastes schlegelii (Sebastidae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 302:113689. [PMID: 33301756 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondrial cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), encoded by the cyp11a1 gene, initiates the first step of steroid biosynthesis. In this study, a 1554-bp open reading frame (ORF) of black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) cyp11a1 was cloned. The cyp11a1 gene is located on chromosome 5 and has 9 exons. The ORF encodes a putative precursor protein of 517 amino acids, and the predicted cleavable mitochondrial targeting peptide is located at amino acids 1-39. P450scc shares homology with other teleosts and tetrapods, which have relatively conserved binding regions with heme, cholesterol and adrenodoxin. Tissue distribution analysis revealed that the highest expression levels of cyp11a1 were detected in mature gonads and head kidney but that low levels were detected in gestational/regressed ovaries, regressed testes and other tissues. Immunostaining of P450scc was observed in testicular Leydig cells, ovarian theca cells, interrenal glands of head kidney, pituitary and multiple regions of brain. Particularly, two kinds of fish-specific P450scc-positive cells, including coronet cells of brain saccus vasculosus and hypophyseal somatolactin cells, were identified in black rockfish. Our results provide novel evidence for the potential role played by P450scc in reproduction behavior by mediating steroidogenesis in viviparous teleost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Haishen Wen
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Yun Li
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Likang Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Min Song
- College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, PR China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jianshuang Li
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Yijia Yao
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Jifang Li
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China
| | - Xin Qi
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ocean University of China), Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, PR China.
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6
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Lévesque M, Biagini G, Avoli M. Neurosteroids and Focal Epileptic Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249391. [PMID: 33321734 PMCID: PMC7763947 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are a family of compounds that are synthesized in principal excitatory neurons and glial cells, and derive from the transformation of cholesterol into pregnenolone. The most studied neurosteroids—allopregnanolone and allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone (THDOC)—are known to modulate GABAA receptor-mediated transmission, thus playing a role in controlling neuronal network excitability. Given the role of GABAA signaling in epileptic disorders, neurosteroids have profound effects on seizure generation and play a role in the development of chronic epileptic conditions (i.e., epileptogenesis). We review here studies showing the effects induced by neurosteroids on epileptiform synchronization in in vitro brain slices, on epileptic activity in in vivo models, i.e., in animals that were made epileptic with chemoconvulsant treatment, and in epileptic patients. These studies reveal that neurosteroids can modulate ictogenesis and the occurrence of pathological network activity such as interictal spikes and high-frequency oscillations (80–500 Hz). Moreover, they can delay the onset of spontaneous seizures in animal models of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Overall, this evidence suggests that neurosteroids represent a new target for the treatment of focal epileptic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lévesque
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital & Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-514-398-8909
| | - Giuseppe Biagini
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Università 4, 41121 Modena, Italy;
| | - Massimo Avoli
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital & Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada;
- Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
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7
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Abdel Ghafar MT. An overview of the classical and tissue-derived renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and its genetic polymorphisms in essential hypertension. Steroids 2020; 163:108701. [PMID: 32717198 DOI: 10.1016/j.steroids.2020.108701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is a specific hormonal cascade implicated in the blood pressure control and sodium balance regulation. Several components of this pathway have been identified including renin, angiotensinogen, angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensins with a wide range of distinct subtypes and receptors, and aldosterone. The RAAS is not only confined to the systemic circulation but also exists locally in specific tissues such as the heart, brain, and blood vessels with a particular paracrine action. Alteration of RAAS function can contribute to the development of hypertension and the emergence of its associated end-organ damage. Genotypic variations of the different genes of RAAS cascade have been linked to the susceptibility to essential hypertension. Accordingly, to understand the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and its related complications, deep insight into the physiological and genetic aspects of RAAS with its different components and pathways is necessary. In this review, we aimed to illustrate the physiological and genetic aspects of RAAS and the underlying mechanisms which link this system to the predisposition to essential hypertension.
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8
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Vegeto E, Villa A, Della Torre S, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Galbiati M, Maggi A, Poletti A. The Role of Sex and Sex Hormones in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5572525. [PMID: 31544208 PMCID: PMC7156855 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a wide class of disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) with unknown etiology. Several factors were hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases, including genetic and environmental factors. Many of these diseases show a sex prevalence and sex steroids were shown to have a role in the progression of specific forms of neurodegeneration. Estrogens were reported to be neuroprotective through their action on cognate nuclear and membrane receptors, while adverse effects of male hormones have been described on neuronal cells, although some data also suggest neuroprotective activities. The response of the CNS to sex steroids is a complex and integrated process that depends on (i) the type and amount of the cognate steroid receptor and (ii) the target cell type-either neurons, glia, or microglia. Moreover, the levels of sex steroids in the CNS fluctuate due to gonadal activities and to local metabolism and synthesis. Importantly, biochemical processes involved in the pathogenesis of NDs are increasingly being recognized as different between the two sexes and as influenced by sex steroids. The aim of this review is to present current state-of-the-art understanding on the potential role of sex steroids and their receptors on the onset and progression of major neurodegenerative disorders, namely, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and the peculiar motoneuron disease spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, in which hormonal therapy is potentially useful as disease modifier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Vegeto
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Villa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute (DiSS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Crippa
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Rusmini
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Riccardo Cristofani
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Mariarita Galbiati
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche (DiSFarm), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
| | - Angelo Poletti
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Eccellenza di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy
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9
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Guagliardo NA, Yao J, Stipes EJ, Cechova S, Le TH, Bayliss DA, Breault DT, Barrett PQ. Adrenal Tissue-Specific Deletion of TASK Channels Causes Aldosterone-Driven Angiotensin II-Independent Hypertension. Hypertension 2019; 73:407-414. [PMID: 30580687 PMCID: PMC6326871 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.118.11962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The renin-angiotensin system tightly controls aldosterone synthesis. Dysregulation is evident in hypertension (primary aldosteronism), low renin, and resistant hypertension) but also can exist in normotension. Whether chronic, mild aldosterone autonomy can elicit hypertension remains untested. Previously, we reported that global genetic deletion of 2 pore-domain TWIK-relative acid-sensitive potassium channels, TASK-1 and TASK-3, from mice produces striking aldosterone excess, low renin, and hypertension. Here, we deleted TASK-1 and TASK-3 channels selectively from zona glomerulosa cells and generated a model of mild aldosterone autonomy with attendant hypertension that is aldosterone-driven and Ang II (angiotensin II)-independent. This study shows that a zona glomerulosa-specific channel defect can produce mild autonomous hyperaldosteronism sufficient to cause chronic blood pressure elevation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A Guagliardo
- From the Department of Pharmacology (N.A.G., J.Y., E.J.S., D.A.B, P.Q.B.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - Junlan Yao
- From the Department of Pharmacology (N.A.G., J.Y., E.J.S., D.A.B, P.Q.B.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - Eric J Stipes
- From the Department of Pharmacology (N.A.G., J.Y., E.J.S., D.A.B, P.Q.B.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - Sylvia Cechova
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine (S.C., T.H.L.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - Thu H Le
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine (S.C., T.H.L.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - Douglas A Bayliss
- From the Department of Pharmacology (N.A.G., J.Y., E.J.S., D.A.B, P.Q.B.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
| | - David T Breault
- Department of Pediatrics/Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA (D.T.B.)
| | - Paula Q Barrett
- From the Department of Pharmacology (N.A.G., J.Y., E.J.S., D.A.B, P.Q.B.), University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
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10
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A relationship between the aldosterone-mineralocorticoid receptor pathway and alcohol drinking: preliminary translational findings across rats, monkeys and humans. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1466-1473. [PMID: 28461696 PMCID: PMC5668213 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Aldosterone regulates electrolyte and fluid homeostasis through binding to the mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs). Previous work provides evidence for a role of aldosterone in alcohol use disorders (AUDs). We tested the hypothesis that high functional activity of the mineralocorticoid endocrine pathway contributes to vulnerability for AUDs. In Study 1, we investigated the relationship between plasma aldosterone levels, ethanol self-administration and the expression of CYP11B2 and MR (NR3C2) genes in the prefrontal cortex area (PFC) and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in monkeys. Aldosterone significantly increased after 6- and 12-month ethanol self-administration. NR3C2 expression in the CeA was negatively correlated to average ethanol intake during the 12 months. In Study 2, we measured Nr3c2 mRNA levels in the PFC and CeA of dependent and nondependent rats and the correlates with ethanol drinking during acute withdrawal. Low Nr3c2 expression levels in the CeA were significantly associated with increased anxiety-like behavior and compulsive-like drinking in dependent rats. In Study 3, the relationship between plasma aldosterone levels, alcohol drinking and craving was investigated in alcohol-dependent patients. Non-abstinent patients had significantly higher aldosterone levels than abstinent patients. Aldosterone levels positively correlated with the number of drinks consumed, craving and anxiety scores. These findings support a relationship between ethanol drinking and the aldosterone/MR pathway in three different species.
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11
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Weger M, Diotel N, Weger BD, Beil T, Zaucker A, Eachus HL, Oakes JA, do Rego JL, Storbeck KH, Gut P, Strähle U, Rastegar S, Müller F, Krone N. Expression and activity profiling of the steroidogenic enzymes of glucocorticoid biosynthesis and the fdx1 co-factors in zebrafish. J Neuroendocrinol 2018; 30:e12586. [PMID: 29486070 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The spatial and temporal expression of steroidogenic genes in zebrafish has not been fully characterised. Because zebrafish are increasingly employed in endocrine and stress research, a better characterisation of steroidogenic pathways is required to target specific steps in the biosynthetic pathways. In the present study, we have systematically defined the temporal and spatial expression of steroidogenic enzymes involved in glucocorticoid biosynthesis (cyp21a2, cyp11c1, cyp11a1, cyp11a2, cyp17a1, cyp17a2, hsd3b1, hsd3b2), as well as the mitochondrial electron-providing ferredoxin co-factors (fdx1, fdx1b), during zebrafish development. Our studies showed an early expression of all these genes during embryogenesis. In larvae, expression of cyp11a2, cyp11c1, cyp17a2, cyp21a2, hsd3b1 and fdx1b can be detected in the interrenal gland, which is the zebrafish counterpart of the mammalian adrenal gland, whereas the fdx1 transcript is mainly found in the digestive system. Gene expression studies using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR and whole-mount in situ hybridisation in the adult zebrafish brain revealed a wide expression of these genes throughout the encephalon, including neurogenic regions. Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, we were able to demonstrate the presence of the glucocorticoid cortisol in the adult zebrafish brain. Moreover, we demonstrate de novo biosynthesis of cortisol and the neurosteroid tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone in the adult zebrafish brain from radiolabelled pregnenolone. Taken together, the present study comprises a comprehensive characterisation of the steroidogenic genes and the fdx co-factors facilitating glucocorticoid biosynthesis in zebrafish. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence of de novo neurosteroid biosynthesising in the brain of adult zebrafish facilitated by enzymes involved in glucocorticoid biosynthesis. Our study provides a valuable source for establishing the zebrafish as a translational model with respect to understanding the roles of the genes for glucocorticoid biosynthesis and fdx co-factors during embryonic development and stress, as well as in brain homeostasis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Weger
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - N Diotel
- INSERM, UMR 1188, Diabète athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien (DéTROI), Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
| | - B D Weger
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - T Beil
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - A Zaucker
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - H L Eachus
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield, UK
| | - J A Oakes
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield, UK
| | - J L do Rego
- Plateforme d'Analyse Comportementale (SCAC), Institut de Recherche et d'Innovation Biomédicale, Inserm U1234, Université de Rouen, Rouen Cedex, France
| | - K-H Storbeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - P Gut
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - U Strähle
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - S Rastegar
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - F Müller
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - N Krone
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield, UK
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Diotel N, Charlier TD, Lefebvre d'Hellencourt C, Couret D, Trudeau VL, Nicolau JC, Meilhac O, Kah O, Pellegrini E. Steroid Transport, Local Synthesis, and Signaling within the Brain: Roles in Neurogenesis, Neuroprotection, and Sexual Behaviors. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:84. [PMID: 29515356 PMCID: PMC5826223 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones are synthesized from cholesterol and exert pleiotropic effects notably in the central nervous system. Pioneering studies from Baulieu and colleagues have suggested that steroids are also locally-synthesized in the brain. Such steroids, called neurosteroids, can rapidly modulate neuronal excitability and functions, brain plasticity, and behavior. Accumulating data obtained on a wide variety of species demonstrate that neurosteroidogenesis is an evolutionary conserved feature across fish, birds, and mammals. In this review, we will first document neurosteroidogenesis and steroid signaling for estrogens, progestagens, and androgens in the brain of teleost fish, birds, and mammals. We will next consider the effects of sex steroids in homeostatic and regenerative neurogenesis, in neuroprotection, and in sexual behaviors. In a last part, we will discuss the transport of steroids and lipoproteins from the periphery within the brain (and vice-versa) and document their effects on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and on neuroprotection. We will emphasize the potential interaction between lipoproteins and sex steroids, addressing the beneficial effects of steroids and lipoproteins, particularly HDL-cholesterol, against the breakdown of the BBB reported to occur during brain ischemic stroke. We will consequently highlight the potential anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and neuroprotective properties of sex steroid and lipoproteins, these latest improving cholesterol and steroid ester transport within the brain after insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Diotel
- Université de La Réunion, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR 1188, Diabète athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
| | - Thierry D. Charlier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Christian Lefebvre d'Hellencourt
- Université de La Réunion, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR 1188, Diabète athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
| | - David Couret
- Université de La Réunion, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR 1188, Diabète athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
- CHU de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | | | - Joel C. Nicolau
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Olivier Meilhac
- Université de La Réunion, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, UMR 1188, Diabète athérothrombose Thérapies Réunion Océan Indien, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, France
- CHU de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Olivier Kah
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
| | - Elisabeth Pellegrini
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes, France
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13
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Aerts J. Quantification of a Glucocorticoid Profile in Non-pooled Samples Is Pivotal in Stress Research Across Vertebrates. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:635. [PMID: 30405537 PMCID: PMC6206410 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates are faced continuously with a variety of potential stressful stimuli and react by a highly conserved endocrine stress response. An immediate catecholamine mediated response increases plasma glucose levels in order to prepare the organism for the "fight or flight" reaction. In addition, in a matter of minutes after this (nor)adrenaline release, glucocorticoids, in particular cortisol or corticosterone depending on the species, are released through activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis in fish or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in other vertebrates. These plasma glucocorticoids are well documented and widely used as biomarker for stress across vertebrates. In order to study the role of glucocorticoids in acute and chronic stress and gain in-depth insight in the stress axis (re)activity across vertebrates, it is pivotal to pin-point the involved molecules, to understand the mechanisms of how the latter are synthesized, regulated and excreted, and to grasp their actions on a plethora of biological processes. Furthermore, in-depth knowledge on the characteristics of the tissues as well as on the analytical methodologies available for glucocorticoid quantification is needed. This manuscript is to be situated in the multi-disciplinary research topic of glucocorticoid action across vertebrates which is linked to a wide range of research domains including but not limited to biochemistry, ecology, endocrinology, ethology, histology, immunology, morphology, physiology, and toxicology, and provides a solid base for all interested in stress, in particular glucocorticoid, related research. In this framework, internationally validated confirmation methods for quantification of a glucocorticoid profile comprising: (i) the dominant hormone; (ii) its direct precursors; (iii) its endogenously present phase I metabolites; and (iv) the most abundant more polar excreted exogenous phase I metabolites in non-pooled samples are pivotal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Aerts
- Stress Physiology Research Group, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ostend, Belgium
- Stress Physiology Research Group, Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ostend, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Johan Aerts
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14
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Tobiansky DJ, Wallin-Miller KG, Floresco SB, Wood RI, Soma KK. Androgen Regulation of the Mesocorticolimbic System and Executive Function. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2018; 9:279. [PMID: 29922228 PMCID: PMC5996102 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2018.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple lines of evidence indicate that androgens, such as testosterone, modulate the mesocorticolimbic system and executive function. This review integrates neuroanatomical, molecular biological, neurochemical, and behavioral studies to highlight how endogenous and exogenous androgens alter behaviors, such as behavioral flexibility, decision making, and risk taking. First, we briefly review the neuroanatomy of the mesocorticolimbic system, which mediates executive function, with a focus on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAc), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Second, we present evidence that androgen receptors (AR) and other steroid receptors are expressed in the mesocorticolimbic system. Using sensitive immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques, ARs are detected in the VTA, NAc, mPFC, and OFC. Third, we describe recent evidence for local androgens ("neuroandrogens") in the mesocorticolimbic system. Steroidogenic enzymes are expressed in mesocorticolimbic regions. Furthermore, following long-term gonadectomy, testosterone is nondetectable in the blood but detectable in the mesocorticolimbic system, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. However, the physiological relevance of neuroandrogens remains unknown. Fourth, we review how anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) influence the mesocorticolimbic system. Fifth, we describe how androgens modulate the neurochemistry and structure of the mesocorticolimbic system, particularly with regard to dopaminergic signaling. Finally, we discuss evidence that androgens influence executive functions, including the effects of androgen deprivation therapy and AAS. Taken together, the evidence indicates that androgens are critical modulators of executive function. Similar to dopamine signaling, there might be optimal levels of androgen signaling within the mesocorticolimbic system for executive functioning. Future studies should examine the regulation and functions of neurosteroids in the mesocorticolimbic system, as well as the potential deleterious and enduring effects of AAS use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Tobiansky
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Daniel J. Tobiansky,
| | - Kathryn G. Wallin-Miller
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Stan B. Floresco
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ruth I. Wood
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kiran K. Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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15
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O'Léime CS, Cryan JF, Nolan YM. Nuclear deterrents: Intrinsic regulators of IL-1β-induced effects on hippocampal neurogenesis. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 66:394-412. [PMID: 28751020 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.07.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hippocampal neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons are born and develop into the host circuitry, begins during embryonic development and persists throughout adulthood. Over the last decade considerable insights have been made into the role of hippocampal neurogenesis in cognitive function and the cellular mechanisms behind this process. Additionally, an increasing amount of evidence exists on the impact of environmental factors, such as stress and neuroinflammation on hippocampal neurogenesis and subsequent impairments in cognition. Elevated expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the hippocampus is established as a significant contributor to the neuronal demise evident in many neurological and psychiatric disorders and is now known to negatively regulate hippocampal neurogenesis. In order to prevent the deleterious effects of IL-1β on neurogenesis it is necessary to identify signalling pathways and regulators of neurogenesis within neural progenitor cells that can interact with IL-1β. Nuclear receptors are ligand regulated transcription factors that are involved in modulating a large number of cellular processes including neurogenesis. In this review we focus on the signalling mechanisms of specific nuclear receptors involved in regulating neurogenesis (glucocorticoid receptors, peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, estrogen receptors, and nuclear receptor subfamily 2 group E member 1 (NR2E1 or TLX)). We propose that these nuclear receptors could be targeted to inhibit neuroinflammatory signalling pathways associated with IL-1β. We discuss their potential to be therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory disorders affecting hippocampal neurogenesis and associated cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciarán S O'Léime
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Ireland
| | - Yvonne M Nolan
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Ireland; APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Ireland.
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16
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Qaiser MZ, Dolman DEM, Begley DJ, Abbott NJ, Cazacu-Davidescu M, Corol DI, Fry JP. Uptake and metabolism of sulphated steroids by the blood-brain barrier in the adult male rat. J Neurochem 2017; 142:672-685. [PMID: 28665486 PMCID: PMC5601180 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about the origin of the neuroactive steroids dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and pregnenolone sulphate (PregS) in the brain or of their subsequent metabolism. Using rat brain perfusion in situ, we have found 3H‐PregS to enter more rapidly than 3H‐DHEAS and both to undergo extensive (> 50%) desulphation within 0.5 min of uptake. Enzyme activity for the steroid sulphatase catalysing this deconjugation was enriched in the capillary fraction of the blood–brain barrier and its mRNA expressed in cultures of rat brain endothelial cells and astrocytes. Although permeability measurements suggested a net efflux, addition of the efflux inhibitors GF120918 and/or MK571 to the perfusate reduced rather than enhanced the uptake of 3H‐DHEAS and 3H‐PregS; a further reduction was seen upon the addition of unlabelled steroid sulphate, suggesting a saturable uptake transporter. Analysis of brain fractions after 0.5 min perfusion with the 3H‐steroid sulphates showed no further metabolism of PregS beyond the liberation of free steroid pregnenolone. By contrast, DHEAS underwent 17‐hydroxylation to form androstenediol in both the steroid sulphate and the free steroid fractions, with some additional formation of androstenedione in the latter. Our results indicate a gain of free steroid from circulating steroid sulphates as hormone precursors at the blood–brain barrier, with implications for ageing, neurogenesis, neuronal survival, learning and memory. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- M Zeeshan Qaiser
- Blood-Brain Barrier Research Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Diana E M Dolman
- Blood-Brain Barrier Research Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - David J Begley
- Blood-Brain Barrier Research Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - N Joan Abbott
- Blood-Brain Barrier Research Group, Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mihaela Cazacu-Davidescu
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK
| | - Delia I Corol
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK
| | - Jonathan P Fry
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, Gower Street, London, UK
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17
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Walker DM, Gore AC. Epigenetic impacts of endocrine disruptors in the brain. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:1-26. [PMID: 27663243 PMCID: PMC5429819 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of reproductive competence is organized and activated by steroid hormones acting upon the hypothalamus during critical windows of development. This review describes the potential role of epigenetic processes, particularly DNA methylation, in the regulation of sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus by hormones. We examine disruption of these processes by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in an age-, sex-, and region-specific manner, focusing on how perinatal EDCs act through epigenetic mechanisms to reprogram DNA methylation and sex steroid hormone receptor expression throughout life. These receptors are necessary for brain sexual differentiation and their altered expression may underlie disrupted reproductive physiology and behavior. Finally, we review the literature on histone modifications and non-coding RNA involvement in brain sexual differentiation and their perturbation by EDCs. By putting these data into a sex and developmental context we conclude that perinatal EDC exposure alters the developmental trajectory of reproductive neuroendocrine systems in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deena M Walker
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1065, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, and The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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18
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Dinh Cat AN, Friederich-Persson M, White A, Touyz RM. Adipocytes, aldosterone and obesity-related hypertension. J Mol Endocrinol 2016; 57:F7-F21. [PMID: 27357931 DOI: 10.1530/jme-16-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms linking obesity with hypertension is important in the current obesity epidemic as it may improve therapeutic interventions. Plasma aldosterone levels are positively correlated with body mass index and weight loss in obese patients is reported to be accompanied by decreased aldosterone levels. This suggests a relationship between adipose tissue and the production/secretion of aldosterone. Aldosterone is synthesized principally by the adrenal glands, but its production may be regulated by many factors, including factors secreted by adipocytes. In addition, studies have reported local synthesis of aldosterone in extra-adrenal tissues, including adipose tissue. Experimental studies have highlighted a role for adipocyte-secreted aldosterone in the pathogenesis of obesity-related cardiovascular complications via the mineralocorticoid receptor. This review focuses on how aldosterone secretion may be influenced by adipose tissue and the importance of these mechanisms in the context of obesity-related hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurelie Nguyen Dinh Cat
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesBHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Malou Friederich-Persson
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesBHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Anna White
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesBHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rhian M Touyz
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical SciencesBHF Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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19
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Evans LC, Ivy JR, Wyrwoll C, McNairn JA, Menzies RI, Christensen TH, Al-Dujaili EAS, Kenyon CJ, Mullins JJ, Seckl JR, Holmes MC, Bailey MA. Conditional Deletion of Hsd11b2 in the Brain Causes Salt Appetite and Hypertension. Circulation 2016; 133:1360-70. [PMID: 26951843 PMCID: PMC4819772 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.115.019341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 02/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background— The hypertensive syndrome of Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2), allowing inappropriate activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor by endogenous glucocorticoid. Hypertension is attributed to sodium retention in the distal nephron, but 11βHSD2 is also expressed in the brain. However, the central contribution to Apparent Mineralocorticoid Excess and other hypertensive states is often overlooked and is unresolved. We therefore used a Cre-Lox strategy to generate 11βHSD2 brain-specific knockout (Hsd11b2.BKO) mice, measuring blood pressure and salt appetite in adults. Methods and Results— Basal blood pressure, electrolytes, and circulating corticosteroids were unaffected in Hsd11b2.BKO mice. When offered saline to drink, Hsd11b2.BKO mice consumed 3 times more sodium than controls and became hypertensive. Salt appetite was inhibited by spironolactone. Control mice fed the same daily sodium intake remained normotensive, showing the intrinsic salt resistance of the background strain. Dexamethasone suppressed endogenous glucocorticoid and abolished the salt-induced blood pressure differential between genotypes. Salt sensitivity in Hsd11b2.BKO mice was not caused by impaired renal sodium excretion or volume expansion; pressor responses to phenylephrine were enhanced and baroreflexes impaired in these animals. Conclusions— Reduced 11βHSD2 activity in the brain does not intrinsically cause hypertension, but it promotes a hunger for salt and a transition from salt resistance to salt sensitivity. Our data suggest that 11βHSD2-positive neurons integrate salt appetite and the blood pressure response to dietary sodium through a mineralocorticoid receptor–dependent pathway. Therefore, central mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism could increase compliance to low-sodium regimens and help blood pressure management in cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Evans
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Jessica R Ivy
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Caitlin Wyrwoll
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Julie A McNairn
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Robert I Menzies
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Thorbjørn H Christensen
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Emad A S Al-Dujaili
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Christopher J Kenyon
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - John J Mullins
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Jonathan R Seckl
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Megan C Holmes
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
| | - Matthew A Bailey
- From British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (L.C.E., J.R.I., C.W., J.A.M., R.I.M., T.H.C., C.J.K., J.J.M., J.R.S., M.C.H., M.A.B.); and Dietetics, Nutrition and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (E.A.S.Al-D.). The current address for Dr Evans is Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; the current address for Dr Wyrwoll is School of Anatomy, Physiology & Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; and the current address for Dr Christensen is Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.
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Gore AC, Chappell VA, Fenton SE, Flaws JA, Nadal A, Prins GS, Toppari J, Zoeller RT. EDC-2: The Endocrine Society's Second Scientific Statement on Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals. Endocr Rev 2015; 36:E1-E150. [PMID: 26544531 PMCID: PMC4702494 DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1257] [Impact Index Per Article: 139.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Endocrine Society's first Scientific Statement in 2009 provided a wake-up call to the scientific community about how environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect health and disease. Five years later, a substantially larger body of literature has solidified our understanding of plausible mechanisms underlying EDC actions and how exposures in animals and humans-especially during development-may lay the foundations for disease later in life. At this point in history, we have much stronger knowledge about how EDCs alter gene-environment interactions via physiological, cellular, molecular, and epigenetic changes, thereby producing effects in exposed individuals as well as their descendants. Causal links between exposure and manifestation of disease are substantiated by experimental animal models and are consistent with correlative epidemiological data in humans. There are several caveats because differences in how experimental animal work is conducted can lead to difficulties in drawing broad conclusions, and we must continue to be cautious about inferring causality in humans. In this second Scientific Statement, we reviewed the literature on a subset of topics for which the translational evidence is strongest: 1) obesity and diabetes; 2) female reproduction; 3) male reproduction; 4) hormone-sensitive cancers in females; 5) prostate; 6) thyroid; and 7) neurodevelopment and neuroendocrine systems. Our inclusion criteria for studies were those conducted predominantly in the past 5 years deemed to be of high quality based on appropriate negative and positive control groups or populations, adequate sample size and experimental design, and mammalian animal studies with exposure levels in a range that was relevant to humans. We also focused on studies using the developmental origins of health and disease model. No report was excluded based on a positive or negative effect of the EDC exposure. The bulk of the results across the board strengthen the evidence for endocrine health-related actions of EDCs. Based on this much more complete understanding of the endocrine principles by which EDCs act, including nonmonotonic dose-responses, low-dose effects, and developmental vulnerability, these findings can be much better translated to human health. Armed with this information, researchers, physicians, and other healthcare providers can guide regulators and policymakers as they make responsible decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Gore
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - V A Chappell
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - S E Fenton
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - J A Flaws
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - A Nadal
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - G S Prins
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - J Toppari
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
| | - R T Zoeller
- Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78734; Division of the National Toxicology Program (V.A.C., S.E.F.), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709; Department of Comparative Biosciences (J.A.F.), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61802; Institute of Bioengineering and CIBERDEM (A.N.), Miguel Hernandez University of Elche, 03202 Elche, Alicante, Spain; Departments of Urology, Pathology, and Physiology & Biophysics (G.S.P.), College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612; Departments of Physiology and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, 20520 Turku, Finland; and Biology Department (R.T.Z.), University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
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Quinn TA, Ratnayake U, Dickinson H, Castillo-Melendez M, Walker DW. Ontogenetic Change in the Regional Distribution of Dehydroepiandrosterone-Synthesizing Enzyme and the Glucocorticoid Receptor in the Brain of the Spiny Mouse (Acomys cahirinus). Dev Neurosci 2015; 38:54-73. [PMID: 26501835 DOI: 10.1159/000438986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has trophic and anti-glucocorticoid actions on brain growth. The adrenal gland of the spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) synthesizes DHEA. The aim of this study was to determine whether the brain of this precocial species is also able to produce DHEA de novo during fetal, neonatal and adult life. The expression of P450c17 and cytochrome b5 (Cytb5), the enzyme and accessory protein responsible for the synthesis of DHEA, was determined in fetal, neonatal and adult brains by immunocytochemistry, and P450c17 bioactivity was determined by the conversion of pregnenolone to DHEA. Homogenates of fetal brain produced significantly more DHEA after 48 h in culture (22.46 ± 2.0 ng/mg tissue) than adult brain homogenates (5.04 ± 2.0 ng/mg tissue; p < 0.0001). P450c17 and Cytb5 were co-expressed in fetal neurons but predominantly in oligodendrocytes and white matter tracts in the adult brain. Because DHEA modulates glucocorticoids actions, the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was also determined. In the brainstem, medulla, midbrain, and cerebellum, the predominant GR localization changed from neurons in the fetal brain to oligodendrocytes and white matter tracts in the adult brain. The change of expression of P450c17, Cytb5 and GR proteins with cell type, brain region and developmental age indicates that DHEA is an endogenous neurosteroid in this species that may have important trophic and stress-modifying actions during both prenatal and postnatal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Quinn
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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22
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MacKenzie G, Maguire J. Neurosteroids and GABAergic signaling in health and disease. Biomol Concepts 2015; 4:29-42. [PMID: 25436563 DOI: 10.1515/bmc-2012-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Endogenous neurosteroids such as allopregnanolone, allotetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, and androstanediol are synthesized either de novo in the brain from cholesterol or are generated from the local metabolism of peripherally derived progesterone or corticosterone. Fluctuations in neurosteroid concentrations are important in the regulation of a number of physiological responses including anxiety and stress, reproductive, and sexual behaviors. These effects are mediated in part by the direct binding of neurosteroids to γ-aminobutyric acid type-A receptors (GABAARs), resulting in the potentiation of GABAAR-mediated currents. Extrasynaptic GABAARs containing the δ subunit, which contribute to the tonic conductance, are particularly sensitive to low nanomolar concentrations of neurosteroids and are likely their preferential target. Considering the large charge transfer generated by these persistently open channels, even subtle changes in neurosteroid concentrations can have a major impact on neuronal excitability. Consequently, aberrant levels of neurosteroids have been implicated in numerous disorders, including, but not limited to, anxiety, neurodegenerative diseases, alcohol abuse, epilepsy, and depression. Here we review the modulation of GABAAR by neurosteroids and the consequences for health and disease.
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23
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Hough D, Storbeck K, Cloete SWP, Swart AC, Swart P. Relative contribution of P450c17 towards the acute cortisol response: Lessons from sheep and goats. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 408:107-13. [PMID: 25597634 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Revised: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The rapid release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex upon ACTH receptor activation plays an integral role in the stress response. It has been suggested that the quantitative control over adrenal steroidogenesis (quantity of total steroids produced) depends on the activities of cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein that supplies pregnenolone precursor to the pathway. The qualitative control (which steroids) then depends on the downstream steroidogenic enzymes, including cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17). In this review we focus on the relative contribution of P450c17 in the qualitative control of cortisol production with data collected from studies on South African Angora and Boer goats, as well as Merino sheep. Unique P450c17 genotypes were identified in these breeds with isoforms differing only with a couple of single amino acid residue substitutions. This review demonstrates how molecular and cellular differences relating to P450c17 activity can affect physiological and behavioural responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Hough
- Department of Biochemistry, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa; Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine; College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences; University of Glasgow; Glasgow G61 1QH, UK.
| | - K Storbeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - S W P Cloete
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa; Western Cape Department of Agriculture, Private Bag X1, Directorate Animal Sciences: Elsenburg, Elsenburg 7607, South Africa
| | - A C Swart
- Department of Biochemistry, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
| | - P Swart
- Department of Biochemistry, Private Bag X1, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
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24
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Fokidis HB, Adomat HH, Kharmate G, Hosseini-Beheshti E, Guns ES, Soma KK. Regulation of local steroidogenesis in the brain and in prostate cancer: lessons learned from interdisciplinary collaboration. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 36:108-29. [PMID: 25223867 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2014] [Revised: 08/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroids play critical roles in the regulation of the brain and many other organs. Traditionally, researchers have focused on sex steroid signaling that involves travel from the gonads via the circulation to intracellular receptors in target tissues. This classic concept has been challenged, however, by the growing number of cases in which steroids are synthesized locally and act locally within diverse tissues. For example, the brain and prostate carcinoma were previously considered targets of gonadal sex steroids, but under certain circumstances, these tissues can upregulate their steroidogenic potential, particularly when circulating sex steroid concentrations are low. We review some of the similarities and differences between local sex steroid synthesis in the brain and prostate cancer. We also share five lessons that we have learned during the course of our interdisciplinary collaboration, which brought together neuroendocrinologists and cancer biologists. These lessons have important implications for future research in both fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Bobby Fokidis
- Department of Biology, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL 37289, USA; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada.
| | - Hans H Adomat
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada
| | | | | | - Emma S Guns
- Vancouver Prostate Centre, Vancouver, BC V6H 3Z6, Canada; Department of Urological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Kiran K Soma
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Brain Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
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25
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Guerin GF, Schmoutz CD, Goeders NE. The extra-adrenal effects of metyrapone and oxazepam on ongoing cocaine self-administration. Brain Res 2014; 1575:45-54. [PMID: 24887642 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Investigation of the role of stress in cocaine addiction has yielded an efficacious combination of metyrapone and oxazepam, hypothesized to decrease relapse to cocaine use by reducing stress-induced craving. However, recent data suggest an extra-adrenal role for metyrapone in mediating stress- and addiction-related behaviors. The interactions between the physiological stress response and cocaine self-administration were characterized in rodents utilizing surgical adrenalectomy and pharmacological treatment. Male Wistar rats were trained to self-administer cocaine (0.25mg/kg/infusion) and food pellets under a concurrent alternating fixed-ratio schedule of reinforcement. Surgical removal of the adrenal glands resulted in a significant decrease in plasma corticosterone and a consequent increase in ACTH, as expected. However, adrenalectomy did not significantly affect ongoing cocaine self-administration. Pretreatment with metyrapone, oxazepam and their combinations in intact rats resulted in a significant decrease in cocaine-reinforced responses. These same pharmacological treatments were still effective in reducing cocaine- and food-reinforced responding in adrenalectomized rats. The results of these experiments demonstrate that adrenally-derived steroids are not necessary to maintain cocaine-reinforced responding in cocaine-experienced rats. These results also demonstrate that metyrapone may produce effects outside of the adrenal gland, presumably in the central nervous system, to affect cocaine-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn F Guerin
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA
| | - Christopher D Schmoutz
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA.
| | - Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, & Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA
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26
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Santarsieri M, Niyonkuru C, McCullough EH, Dobos JA, Dixon CE, Berga SL, Wagner AK. Cerebrospinal fluid cortisol and progesterone profiles and outcomes prognostication after severe traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma 2014; 31:699-712. [PMID: 24354775 PMCID: PMC3967414 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2013.3177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite significant advances in the management of head trauma, there remains a lack of pharmacological treatment options for traumatic brain injury (TBI). While progesterone clinical trials have shown promise, corticosteroid trials have failed. The purpose of this study was to (1) characterize endogenous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) progesterone and cortisol levels after TBI, (2) determine relationships between CSF and serum profiles, and (3) assess the utility of these hormones as predictors of long-term outcomes. We evaluated 130 adults with severe TBI. Serum samples (n=538) and CSF samples (n=746) were collected for 6 days post-injury, analyzed for cortisol and progesterone, and compared with healthy controls (n=13). Hormone data were linked with clinical data, including Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) scores at 6 and 12 months. Group based trajectory (TRAJ) analysis was used to develop temporal hormone profiles delineating distinct subpopulations. Compared with controls, CSF cortisol levels were significantly and persistently elevated during the first week after TBI, and high CSF cortisol levels were associated with poor outcome. As a precursor to cortisol, progesterone mediated these effects. Serum and CSF levels for both cortisol and progesterone were strongly correlated after TBI relative to controls, possibly because of blood-brain barrier disruption. Also, differentially impaired hormone transport and metabolism mechanisms after TBI, potential de novo synthesis of steroids within the brain, and the complex interplay of cortisol and pro-inflammatory cytokines may explain these acute hormone profiles and, when taken together, may help shed light on why corticosteroid trials have previously failed and why progesterone treatment after TBI may be beneficial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Santarsieri
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Christian Niyonkuru
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Emily H. McCullough
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Julie A. Dobos
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - C. Edward Dixon
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Universitry of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Sarah L. Berga
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
| | - Amy K. Wagner
- University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Universitry of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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27
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Goeders NE, Guerin GF, Schmoutz CD. The combination of metyrapone and oxazepam for the treatment of cocaine and other drug addictions. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2014; 69:419-79. [PMID: 24484984 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-420118-7.00011-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although scientists have been investigating the neurobiology of psychomotor stimulant reward for many decades, there is still no FDA-approved treatment for cocaine or methamphetamine abuse. Research in our laboratory has focused on the relationship between stress, the subsequent activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and psychomotor stimulant reinforcement for almost 30 years. This research has led to the development of a combination of low doses of the cortisol synthesis inhibitor, metyrapone, and the benzodiazepine, oxazepam, as a potential pharmacological treatment for cocaine and other substance use disorders. In fact, we have conducted a pilot clinical trial that demonstrated that this combination can reduce cocaine craving and cocaine use. Our initial hypothesis underlying this effect was that the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam reduced cocaine seeking and taking by decreasing activity within the HPA axis. Even so, doses of the metyrapone and oxazepam combination that consistently reduced cocaine taking and seeking did not reliably alter plasma corticosterone (or cortisol in the pilot clinical trial). Furthermore, subsequent research has demonstrated that this drug combination is effective in adrenalectomized rats, suggesting that these effects must be mediated above the level of the adrenal gland. Our evolving hypothesis is that the combination of metyrapone and oxazepam produces its effects by increasing the levels of neuroactive steroids, most notably tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, in the medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Additional research will be necessary to confirm this hypothesis and may lead to the development of improved and specific pharmacotherapies for the treatment of psychomotor stimulant use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Goeders
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
| | - Glenn F Guerin
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
| | - Christopher D Schmoutz
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
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Inhibition of 17α-hydroxylase/C17,20 lyase reduces gating deficits consequent to dopaminergic activation. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 39:204-213. [PMID: 24140269 PMCID: PMC3940882 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2013] [Revised: 09/01/2013] [Accepted: 09/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Cogent evidence points to the involvement of neurosteroids in the regulation of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission and signaling, yet the neurobiological bases of this link remain poorly understood. We previously showed that inhibition of 5α-reductase (5αR), a key neurosteroidogenic enzyme, attenuates the sensorimotor gating deficits induced by DA receptor activation, as measured by the prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle reflex. To extend these findings, the present study was aimed at the assessment of the role of other key neurosteroidogenic enzymes in PPI, such as 17α-hydroxylase/C17,20 lyase (CYP17A1), 3α- and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD), in Sprague-Dawley rats. The PPI deficits induced by the DAergic non-selective agonist apomorphine (APO, 0.25mg/kg, SC) were dose-dependently attenuated by the selective CYP17A1 inhibitor abiraterone (ABI, 10-50mg/kg, IP) in a fashion akin to that of the 5αR inhibitor finasteride (FIN, 100mg/kg, IP). These systemic effects were reproduced by intracerebroventricular injection of ABI (1 μg/1 μl), suggesting the involvement of brain CYP17A1 in PPI regulation. Conversely, the PPI disruption induced by APO was not significantly affected by the 3α- and 3β-HSD inhibitors indomethacin and trilostane. Given that CYP17A1 catalyzes androgen synthesis, we also tested the impact on PPI of the androgen receptor (AR) antagonist flutamide (10mg/kg, IP). However, this agent failed to reverse APO-induced PPI deficits; furthermore, AR endogenous ligands testosterone and dihydrotestosterone failed to disrupt PPI. Collectively, these data highlight CYP17A1 as a novel target for antipsychotic-like action, and suggest that the DAergic regulation of PPI is modulated by androgenic neurosteroids, through AR-unrelated mechanisms.
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Talabér G, Jondal M, Okret S. Extra-adrenal glucocorticoid synthesis: immune regulation and aspects on local organ homeostasis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2013; 380:89-98. [PMID: 23707789 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2013.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2012] [Revised: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Systemic glucocorticoids (GCs) mainly originate from de novo synthesis in the adrenal cortex under the control of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis. However, research during the last 1-2 decades has revealed that additional organs express the necessary enzymes and have the capacity for de novo synthesis of biologically active GCs. This includes the thymus, intestine, skin and the brain. Recent research has also revealed that locally synthesized GCs most likely act in a paracrine or autocrine manner and have significant physiological roles in local homeostasis, cell development and immune cell activation. In this review, we summarize the nature, regulation and known physiological roles of extra-adrenal GC synthesis. We specifically focus on the thymus in which GC production (by both developing thymocytes and epithelial cells) has a role in the maintenance of proper immunological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Talabér
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Novum, SE-141 83 Huddinge, Sweden
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Castellanos CG, Sørvik IB, Tanum MB, Verhaegen S, Brandt I, Ropstad E. Differential effects of the persistent DDT metabolite methylsulfonyl-DDE in nonstimulated and LH-stimulated neonatal porcine Leydig cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2013; 267:247-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2012.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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MacKenzie SM, Connell JMC, Davies E. Non-adrenal synthesis of aldosterone: a reality check. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2012; 350:163-7. [PMID: 21767599 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Revised: 06/21/2011] [Accepted: 06/24/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Advances in the sensitivity of molecular techniques during the 1990s led to a flurry of studies that supported the existence of extra-adrenal sites of aldosterone production in various tissues including the brain and the heart. Subsequent work was often conflicting or ambiguous, leading many to question whether extra-adrenal aldosterone was of any physiological importance, or whether it even existed. In this article, we review these studies and, in light of this evidence, discuss whether the current lack of interest in extra-adrenal aldosterone biosynthesis is justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M MacKenzie
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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Takahashi H, Yoshika M, Komiyama Y, Nishimura M. The central mechanism underlying hypertension: a review of the roles of sodium ions, epithelial sodium channels, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, oxidative stress and endogenous digitalis in the brain. Hypertens Res 2011; 34:1147-60. [PMID: 21814209 PMCID: PMC3324327 DOI: 10.1038/hr.2011.105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Revised: 05/08/2011] [Accepted: 05/15/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The central nervous system has a key role in regulating the circulatory system by modulating the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, pituitary hormone release, and the baroreceptor reflex. Digoxin- and ouabain-like immunoreactive materials were found >20 years ago in the hypothalamic nuclei. These factors appeared to localize to the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei and the nerve fibers at the circumventricular organs and supposed to affect electrolyte balance and blood pressure. The turnover rate of these materials increases with increasing sodium intake. As intracerebroventricular injection of ouabain increases blood pressure via sympathetic activation, an endogenous digitalis-like factor (EDLF) was thought to regulate cardiovascular system-related functions in the brain, particularly after sodium loading. Experiments conducted mainly in rats revealed that the mechanism of action of ouabain in the brain involves sodium ions, epithelial sodium channels (ENaCs) and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), all of which are affected by sodium loading. Rats fed a high-sodium diet develop elevated sodium levels in their cerebrospinal fluid, which activates ENaCs. Activated ENaCs and/or increased intracellular sodium in neurons activate the RAAS; this releases EDLF in the brain, activating the sympathetic nervous system. The RAAS promotes oxidative stress in the brain, further activating the RAAS and augmenting sympathetic outflow. Angiotensin II and aldosterone of peripheral origin act in the brain to activate this cascade, increasing sympathetic outflow and leading to hypertension. Thus, the brain Na(+)-ENaC-RAAS-EDLF axis activates sympathetic outflow and has a crucial role in essential and secondary hypertension. This report provides an overview of the central mechanism underlying hypertension and discusses the use of antihypertensive agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakuo Takahashi
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Laboratory Medicine, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan.
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Tremere LA, Burrows K, Jeong JK, Pinaud R. Organization of Estrogen-Associated Circuits in the Mouse Primary Auditory Cortex. J Exp Neurosci 2011; 2011:45-60. [PMID: 22545003 DOI: 10.4137/jen.s7744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones influence the perceptual processing of sensory signals in vertebrates. In particular, decades of research have shown that circulating levels of estrogen correlate with hearing function. The mechanisms and sites of action supporting this sensory-neuroendocrine modulation, however, remain unknown. Here we combined a molecular cloning strategy, fluorescence in-situ hybridization and unbiased quantification methods to show that estrogen-producing and -sensitive neurons heavily populate the adult mouse primary auditory cortex (AI). We also show that auditory experience in freely-behaving animals engages estrogen-producing and -sensitive neurons in AI. These estrogen-associated networks are greatly stable, and do not quantitatively change as a result of acute episodes of sensory experience. We further demonstrate the neurochemical identity of estrogen-producing and estrogen-sensitive neurons in AI and show that these cell populations are phenotypically distinct. Our findings provide the first direct demonstration that estrogen-associated circuits are highly prevalent and engaged by sensory experience in the mouse auditory cortex, and suggest that previous correlations between estrogen levels and hearing function may be related to brain-generated hormone production. Finally, our findings suggest that estrogenic modulation may be a central component of the operational framework of central auditory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liisa A Tremere
- Departments of Physiology, Geriatric Medicine and ROCA, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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Higo S, Hojo Y, Ishii H, Komatsuzaki Y, Ooishi Y, Murakami G, Mukai H, Yamazaki T, Nakahara D, Barron A, Kimoto T, Kawato S. Endogenous synthesis of corticosteroids in the hippocampus. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21631. [PMID: 21829438 PMCID: PMC3145636 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2011] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain synthesis of steroids including sex-steroids is attracting much attention. The endogenous synthesis of corticosteroids in the hippocampus, however, has been doubted because of the inability to detect deoxycorticosterone (DOC) synthase, cytochrome P450(c21). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The expression of P450(c21) was demonstrated using mRNA analysis and immmunogold electron microscopic analysis in the adult male rat hippocampus. DOC production from progesterone (PROG) was demonstrated by metabolism analysis of (3)H-steroids. All the enzymes required for corticosteroid synthesis including P450(c21), P450(2D4), P450(11β1) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) were localized in the hippocampal principal neurons as shown via in situ hybridization and immunoelectron microscopic analysis. Accurate corticosteroid concentrations in rat hippocampus were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. In adrenalectomized rats, net hippocampus-synthesized corticosterone (CORT) and DOC were determined to 6.9 and 5.8 nM, respectively. Enhanced spinogenesis was observed in the hippocampus following application of low nanomolar (10 nM) doses of CORT for 1 h. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE These results imply the complete pathway of corticosteroid synthesis of 'pregnenolone →PROG→DOC→CORT' in the hippocampal neurons. Both P450(c21) and P450(2D4) can catalyze conversion of PROG to DOC. The low nanomolar level of CORT synthesized in hippocampal neurons may play a role in modulation of synaptic plasticity, in contrast to the stress effects by micromolar CORT from adrenal glands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimpei Higo
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hojo
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Bioinformatics Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Ishii
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshimasa Komatsuzaki
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Physics, College of Science and Technology, Nihon University, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuuki Ooishi
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Gen Murakami
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Bioinformatics Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideo Mukai
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Bioinformatics Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamazaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Brain Science, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Daiichiro Nakahara
- Department of Psychology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Anna Barron
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Kimoto
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Suguru Kawato
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Bioinformatics Project of Japan Science and Technology Agency, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Taves MD, Gomez-Sanchez CE, Soma KK. Extra-adrenal glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids: evidence for local synthesis, regulation, and function. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2011; 301:E11-24. [PMID: 21540450 PMCID: PMC3275156 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00100.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids are steroid hormones classically thought to be secreted exclusively by the adrenal glands. However, recent evidence has shown that corticosteroids can also be locally synthesized in various other tissues, including primary lymphoid organs, intestine, skin, brain, and possibly heart. Evidence for local synthesis includes detection of steroidogenic enzymes and high local corticosteroid levels, even after adrenalectomy. Local synthesis creates high corticosteroid concentrations in extra-adrenal organs, sometimes much higher than circulating concentrations. Interestingly, local corticosteroid synthesis can be regulated via locally expressed mediators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis or renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In some tissues (e.g., skin), these local control pathways might form miniature analogs of the pathways that regulate adrenal corticosteroid production. Locally synthesized glucocorticoids regulate activation of immune cells, while locally synthesized mineralocorticoids regulate blood volume and pressure. The physiological importance of extra-adrenal glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids has been shown, because inhibition of local synthesis has major effects even in adrenal-intact subjects. In sum, while adrenal secretion of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids into the blood coordinates multiple organ systems, local synthesis of corticosteroids results in high spatial specificity of steroid action. Taken together, studies of these five major organ systems challenge the conventional understanding of corticosteroid biosynthesis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Taves
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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Rammouz G, Lecanu L, Papadopoulos V. Oxidative Stress-Mediated Brain Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Formation in Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2011; 2:69. [PMID: 22654823 PMCID: PMC3356139 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2011.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Accepted: 10/19/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurosteroids are steroids made by brain cells independently of peripheral steroidogenic sources. The biosynthesis of most neurosteroids is mediated by proteins and enzymes similar to those identified in the steroidogenic pathway of adrenal and gonadal cells. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a major neurosteroid identified in the brain. Over the years we have reported that, unlike other neurosteroids, DHEA biosynthesis in rat, bovine, and human brain is mediated by an oxidative stress-mediated mechanism, independent of the cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (CYP17A1) enzyme activity found in the periphery. This alternative pathway is induced by pro-oxidant agents, such as Fe(2+) and β-amyloid peptide. Neurosteroids are involved in many aspects of brain function, and as such, are involved in various neuropathologies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a progressive, yet irreversible neurodegenerative disease for which there are limited means for ante-mortem diagnosis. Using brain tissue specimens from control and AD patients, we provided evidence that DHEA is formed in the AD brain by the oxidative stress-mediated metabolism of an unidentified precursor, thus depleting levels of the precursor in the blood stream. We tested for the presence of this DHEA precursor in human serum using a Fe(2+)-based reaction and determined the amounts of DHEA formed. Fe(2+) treatment of the serum resulted in a dramatic increase in DHEA levels in control patients, whereas only a moderate or no increase was observed in AD patients. The DHEA variation after oxidation correlated with the patients' cognitive and mental status. In this review, we present the cumulative evidence for oxidative stress as a natural regulator of DHEA formation and the use of this concept to develop a blood-based diagnostic tool for neurodegenerative diseases linked to oxidative stress, such as AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georges Rammouz
- Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent Lecanu
- Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Vassilios Papadopoulos
- Department of Medicine, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Vassilios Papadopoulos, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal General Hospital, 1650 Cedar Avenue, C10-148, Montreal, QC, Canada H3G 1A4. e-mail:
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Tsutsui K. Neurosteroid biosynthesis and function in the brain of domestic birds. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2011; 2:37. [PMID: 22645509 PMCID: PMC3355851 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2011.00037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is now established that the brain and other nervous systems have the capability of forming steroids de novo, the so-called "neurosteroids." The pioneering discovery of Baulieu and his colleagues, using rodents, has opened the door to a new research field of "neurosteroids." In contrast to mammalian vertebrates, little has been known regarding de novo neurosteroidogenesis in the brain of birds. We therefore investigated neurosteroid formation and metabolism in the brain of quail, a domestic bird. Our studies over the past two decades demonstrated that the quail brain possesses cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ(5)-Δ(4)-isomerase (3β-HSD), 5β-reductase, cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase/c17,20-lyase (P450(17α,lyase)), 17β-HSD, etc., and produces pregnenolone, progesterone, 5β-dihydroprogesterone (5β-DHP), 3β, 5β-tetrahydroprogesterone (3β, 5β-THP), androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol from cholesterol. Independently, Schlinger's laboratory demonstrated that the brain of zebra finch, a songbird, also produces various neurosteroids. Thus, the formation and metabolism of neurosteroids from cholesterol is now known to occur in the brain of birds. In addition, we recently found that the quail brain expresses cytochrome P450(7α) and produces 7α- and 7β-hydroxypregnenolone, previously undescribed avian neurosteroids, from pregnenolone. This paper summarizes the advances made in our understanding of neurosteroid formation and metabolism in the brain of domestic birds. This paper also describes what are currently known about physiological changes in neurosteroid formation and biological functions of neurosteroids in the brain of domestic and other birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda UniversityShinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Kazuyoshi Tsutsui, Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan. e-mail:
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Kimoto T, Ishii H, Higo S, Hojo Y, Kawato S. Semicomprehensive analysis of the postnatal age-related changes in the mRNA expression of sex steroidogenic enzymes and sex steroid receptors in the male rat hippocampus. Endocrinology 2010; 151:5795-806. [PMID: 21047951 DOI: 10.1210/en.2010-0581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Although sex steroids play a crucial role in the postnatal brain development, the age-related changes in the hippocampal steroidogenesis remain largely unknown. We performed comprehensive investigations for the mRNA expressions of 26 sex steroidogenic enzymes/proteins and three sex steroid receptors in the male rat hippocampus, at the ages of postnatal day (PD) 1, PD4, PD7, PD10, PD14, 4 wk, and 12 wk (adult), by RT-PCR/Southern blotting analysis. The relative expression levels of these enzymes/receptors at PD1 were Srd5a1 > Star > Ar ∼ Hsd17b4 ∼ Hsd17b1 ∼ Hsd17b7 ∼ Esr1 ∼ Srd5a2 > Hsd17b3 > Esr2 > Cyp11a1 > Cyp17a1 > Cyp19a1 ∼ Hsd17b2 > 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase I. The mRNA levels of essential enzymes for progesterone/testosterone/estradiol metabolisms (Cyp17a1, Hsd17b7, and Cyp19a1) were approximately constant between PD1 and PD14 and then declined toward the adult levels. Cyp11a1 increased during PD4-PD14 and then considerably decreased toward the adult level (∼8% of PD1). Hsd17b1, Hsd17b2, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase I mRNA decreased approximately monotonously. Hsd17b3 increased to approximately 200% of PD1 during PD4-PD14 and was maintained at this high level. The 5α-reductase mRNA was maintained constant (Srd5a1) or decreased monotonically (Srd5a2) toward the adult level. The Esr1 level peaked at PD4 and decreased toward the adult level, whereas Ar greatly increased during PD1-PD14 and was maintained at this high level. The Star and Hsd17b4 levels were maintained constant from neonate to adult. These results suggest that the hippocampal sex steroidogenic properties are substantially altered during the postnatal development processes, which might contribute to brain sexual maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Kimoto
- Department of Biophysics and Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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Zhang JM, Tonelli L, Regenold WT, McCarthy MM. Effects of neonatal flutamide treatment on hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptogenesis correlate with depression-like behaviors in preadolescent male rats. Neuroscience 2010; 169:544-54. [PMID: 20399256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Revised: 03/10/2010] [Accepted: 03/15/2010] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult men is roughly half that of women. Clinical evidence supports a protective effect of androgens against depressive disorders in men. The developing brain is subject to androgen exposure but a potential role for this in depression during adulthood has not been considered. In order to explore this question we treated newborn male rat pups with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide to block endogenous androgen action and then conducted behavioral tests prior to puberty. Depression-like behaviors were assessed with the Forced Swim Test (FST) and the Sucrose Preference Test (SPT), and anxiety-like behaviors were assessed with the Open Field Test (OFT) and the Novelty-Suppressed Feeding Test (NSFT). Compared to the vehicle-treated controls, neonatal-flutamide treatment caused a significant increase in depression-like behaviors in preadolescent male rats but did not cause any significant difference in anxiety-like behaviors. In separate experiments, male pups with and without flutamide treatment were injected with 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'-monophosphate (BrdU) from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 4 to label newly produced cells or the hippocampi were Golgi-Cox imbedded and pyramidal neurons visualized. Three lines of evidence indicate neonatal flutamide treatment inhibits hippocampal neurogenesis and neuronal dendritic spine formation in preadolescent male rats. Compared to vehicle controls, flutamide treatment significantly decreased (1) the number of microtubule-associated protein-2+ (MAP-2) neurons in the CA1 region, (2) the number of MAP-2+ neurons in the dentate gyrus (DG) region of the hippocampus, and (3) the density of dendritic spines of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region. However, there was no effect of flutamide treatment on the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ or GFAP+/BrdU+ cells in the hippocampus. This study suggests that the organizational effect of androgen-induced hippocampal neurogenesis is antidepressant.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Pelletier G. Steroidogenic Enzymes in the Brain: Morphological Aspects. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2010; 181:193-207. [DOI: 10.1016/s0079-6123(08)81011-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Tsutsui K, Haraguchi S, Matsunaga M, Inoue K, Vaudry H. 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a new key regulator of locomotor activity of vertebrates: identification, mode of action, and functional significance. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2010; 1:9. [PMID: 22654788 PMCID: PMC3356142 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2010.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 12/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Steroids synthesized de novo by the central and peripheral nervous systems are called neurosteroids. The formation of neurosteroids from cholesterol in the brain was originally demonstrated in mammals by Baulieu and colleagues. Our studies over the past two decades have also shown that, in birds and amphibians as in mammals, the brain expresses several kinds of steroidogenic enzymes and produces a variety of neurosteroids. Thus, de novo neurosteroidogenesis from cholesterol is a conserved property that occurs throughout vertebrates. However, the biosynthetic pathways of neurosteroids in the brain of vertebrates was considered to be still incompletely elucidated. Recently, 7α-hydroxypregnenolone was identified as a novel bioactive neurosteroid stimulating locomotor activity in the brain of newts and quail through activation of the dopaminergic system. Subsequently, diurnal and seasonal changes in synthesis of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone in the brain were demonstrated. Interestingly, melatonin derived from the pineal gland and eyes regulates 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain, thus inducing diurnal locomotor changes. Prolactin, an adenohypophyseal hormone, regulates 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis in the brain, and may also induce seasonal locomotor changes. This review highlights the identification, mode of action, and functional significance of 7α-hydroxypregnenolone, a new key regulator of locomotor activity of vertebrates, in terms of diurnal and seasonal changes in 7α-hydroxypregnenolone synthesis, and describes some of their regulatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda UniversityTokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Kazuyoshi Tsutsui, Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan. e-mail:
| | - Shogo Haraguchi
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda UniversityTokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Matsunaga
- Laboratory of Brain Science, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima UniversityHigashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Inoue
- Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda UniversityTokyo, Japan
- Laboratory of Brain Science, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima UniversityHigashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hubert Vaudry
- Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication (INSERM U982), European Institute for Peptide Research, University of RouenMont-Saint-Aignan, France
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Gomez-Sanchez EP, Gomez-Sanchez CM, Plonczynski M, Gomez-Sanchez CE. Aldosterone synthesis in the brain contributes to Dahl salt-sensitive rat hypertension. Exp Physiol 2009; 95:120-30. [PMID: 19837774 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2009.048900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The enzymes required for aldosterone synthesis from cholesterol are expressed in rat and human brains. The hypertension of Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) rats is mitigated by the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of antagonists of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and downstream effectors of mineralocorticoid action, as well as ablations of brain areas that also abrogate mineralocorticoid-salt excess hypertension in normotensive rats. We used real time RT-PCR to measure mRNA of aldosterone synthase and 11beta-hydroxylase, the requisite enzymes for the last step in the synthesis of aldosterone and corticosterone, respectively, MR and the determinants of MR ligand specificity, 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1 and 2 (11beta-HSD1&2) and hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH). A combination of extraction and ELISA was used to measure aldosterone concentrations in tissue and urine of SS and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Aldosterone synthase mRNA expression was higher in the brains and lower in the adrenal glands of SS compared with SD rats. The amounts of mRNA for MR, 11beta-hydroxylase, 11beta-HSD1&2 and H6PD were similar. Aldosterone concentrations were greater in brains of SS than SD rats, yet, in keeping with the literature, the circulating and total aldosterone production of aldosterone in SS rats were not. The selective inhibitor of aldosterone synthase, FAD286, was infused i.c.v. or subcutaneously in a cross-over blood pressure study in hypertensive SS rats further challenged by a high-salt diet. The i.c.v. infusion of FAD286, at a dose that had no effect systemically, significantly and reversibly lowered blood pressure in SS rats. Aldosterone synthesis in brains of SS rats is greater than in SD rats and is important in the genesis of their salt-sensitive hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise P Gomez-Sanchez
- Veterans Administration Medical Center (151), 1500 East Woodrow Wilson Drive, Jackson, MS, 39216-5199, USA.
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Do Rego JL, Seong JY, Burel D, Leprince J, Luu-The V, Tsutsui K, Tonon MC, Pelletier G, Vaudry H. Neurosteroid biosynthesis: enzymatic pathways and neuroendocrine regulation by neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. Front Neuroendocrinol 2009; 30:259-301. [PMID: 19505496 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2009.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 277] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2009] [Revised: 05/12/2009] [Accepted: 05/21/2009] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuroactive steroids synthesized in neuronal tissue, referred to as neurosteroids, are implicated in proliferation, differentiation, activity and survival of nerve cells. Neurosteroids are also involved in the control of a number of behavioral, neuroendocrine and metabolic processes such as regulation of food intake, locomotor activity, sexual activity, aggressiveness, anxiety, depression, body temperature and blood pressure. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the existence, neuroanatomical distribution and biological activity of the enzymes responsible for the biosynthesis of neurosteroids in the brain of vertebrates, and we review the neuronal mechanisms that control the activity of these enzymes. The observation that the activity of key steroidogenic enzymes is finely tuned by various neurotransmitters and neuropeptides strongly suggests that some of the central effects of these neuromodulators may be mediated via the regulation of neurosteroid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Luc Do Rego
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) Unité 413, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
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Liu Y, Pocivavsek A, Papadopoulos V. Dehydroepiandrosterone formation is independent of cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20 lyase activity in the mouse brain. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2009; 115:86-90. [PMID: 19500726 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2009.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2008] [Revised: 02/28/2009] [Accepted: 03/18/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20 lyase (CYP17) is a microsomal enzyme reported to have two distinct catalytic activities, 17alpha-hydroxylase and 17, 20 lyase, that are essential for the biosynthesis of peripheral androgens such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Paradoxically, DHEA is present and plays a role in learning and memory in the adult rodent brain, while CYP17 activity and protein are undetectable. To determine if CYP17 is required for DHEA formation and function in the adult rodent brain, we generated CYP17 chimeric mice that had reduced circulating testosterone levels. There were no detectable differences in cognitive spatial learning between CYP17 chimeric and wild-type mice. In addition, while CYP17 mRNA levels were reduced in CYP17 chimeric compared to wild-type mouse brain, the levels of brain DHEA levels were comparable. To determine if adult brain DHEA is formed by an alternative Fe(2+)-dependent pathway, brain microsomes were isolated from wild-type and CYP17 chimeric mice and treated with FeSO(4). Fe(2+) caused comparable levels of DHEA production by both wild-type and CYP17 chimeric mouse brain microsomes; DHEA production was not reduced by a CYP17 inhibitor. Taken together these in vivo studies suggest that in the adult mouse brain DHEA is formed via a Fe(2+)-sensitive CYP17-independent pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular and Cellular Biology, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Schmidt KL, Chin EH, Shah AH, Soma KK. Cortisol and corticosterone in immune organs and brain of European starlings: developmental changes, effects of restraint stress, comparison with zebra finches. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2009; 297:R42-51. [DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.90964.2008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are produced in the adrenal glands and also in extra-adrenal sites, including immune organs and brain. Here, we examined regulation of systemic GC levels in plasma and local GC levels in immune organs and brain during development. We conducted two studies and examined a total of 462 samples from 70 subjects. In study 1, we determined corticosterone and cortisol levels in the plasma, immune organs, and brain of wild European starlings on posthatch day 0 (P0) and P10 (at baseline and after 45 min of restraint). Baseline corticosterone and cortisol levels were low in the immune organs and brain at P0 and P10, providing little evidence for local GC synthesis in starlings. At P0, restraint had no significant effects on corticosterone or cortisol levels in the plasma or tissues; however, there was a trend for restraint to increase both corticosterone and cortisol in the immune organs. At P10, restraint increased corticosterone levels in the plasma and all tissues, but restraint increased cortisol levels in the plasma, thymus, and diencephalon only. In study 2, we directly compared GC levels in European starlings and zebra finches at P4. In zebra finches but not starlings, cortisol levels were higher in the immune organs than in plasma. This difference in immune GC levels might be due to evolutionary lineage, life history strategy, or experiential factors, such as parasite exposure. This is the first study to measure immune GC levels in wild animals and one of the first studies to measure local GC levels after restraint stress.
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Abstract
Pharmacological and physiological phenomena suggest that cells somewhere inside the central nervous system are responsive to aldosterone. Here, we present the fundamental physiological limitations for aldosterone action in the brain, including its limited blood-brain barrier penetration and its substantial competition from glucocorticoids. Recently, a small group of neurons with unusual sensitivity to circulating aldosterone were identified in the nucleus of the solitary tract. We review the discovery and characterization of these neurons, which express the enzyme 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2, and consider alternative proposals regarding sites and mechanisms for mineralocorticoid action within the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel C Geerling
- Dept. of Anatomy and Neurobiology-Box 8108, Washington Univ. School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Dias BG, Chin SG, Crews D. Steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in the brain of the parthenogenetic whiptail lizard, Cnemidophorus uniparens. Brain Res 2008; 1253:129-38. [PMID: 19084508 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.11.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2008] [Revised: 11/11/2008] [Accepted: 11/11/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The steroidogenic enzyme CYP17 is responsible for catalyzing the production of androgenic precursors, while CYP19 converts testosterone to estradiol. De novo neurosteroidogenesis in specific brain regions influences steroid hormone dependent behaviors. In the all-female lizard species Cnemidophorus uniparens, individuals alternately display both male-like mounting and female-like receptivity. Mounting is associated with high circulating concentrations of progesterone following ovulation (PostOv), while receptivity is correlated with estrogen preceding it (PreOv). At a neuroanatomical level, the preoptic area (POA) and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) are the foci of the male-typical mounting and female-typical receptivity, respectively. In this study, we indirectly test the hypothesis that the whiptail lizard brain is capable of de novo neurosteroidogenesis by cloning fragments of the genes encoding two steroidogenic enzymes, CYP17 and CYP19, and examining their expression patterns in the C. uniparens brain. Our data indicate that these genes are expressed in the C. uniparens brain, and more importantly in the POA and VMN. Using radioactive in situ hybridization, we measured higher CYP17 mRNA levels in the POA of PostOv lizards compared to receptive PreOv animals; CYP19 mRNA levels in the VMN did not change across the ovarian cycle. To our knowledge, these are the first data suggesting that the reptilian brain is capable of de novo steroidogenesis. This study also supports the idea that non-gonadal sources of steroid hormones locally produced in behaviorally relevant brain loci are central to the mediation of behavioral output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian George Dias
- Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
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Pérez-Neri I, Montes S, Ojeda-López C, Ramírez-Bermúdez J, Ríos C. Modulation of neurotransmitter systems by dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate: mechanism of action and relevance to psychiatric disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2008; 32:1118-30. [PMID: 18280022 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2007] [Revised: 11/27/2007] [Accepted: 12/02/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is synthesized in the brain and several studies have shown that this steroid is a modulator of synaptic transmission. The effect of DHEA, and its sulfate ester DHEAS, on glutamate and GABA neurotransmission has been extensively studied but some effects on other neurotransmitter systems, such as dopamine, serotonin and nitric oxide, have also been reported. This review summarizes studies showing the effect of DHEA and DHEAS on neurotransmitter systems at different levels (metabolism, release, reuptake, receptor activation), as well as the activation of voltage-gated ion channels and calcium homeostasis, showing the variety of effects that these steroids exert on those systems, allowing the discussion of its mechanisms of action and its relevance to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Pérez-Neri
- Department of Neurochemistry from the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Insurgentes Sur 3877, La Fama, Tlalpan, Mexico City 14269, Mexico
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Connell JMC, MacKenzie SM, Freel EM, Fraser R, Davies E. A lifetime of aldosterone excess: long-term consequences of altered regulation of aldosterone production for cardiovascular function. Endocr Rev 2008; 29:133-54. [PMID: 18292466 DOI: 10.1210/er.2007-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Up to 15% of patients with essential hypertension have inappropriate regulation of aldosterone; although only a minority have distinct adrenal tumors, recent evidence shows that mineralocorticoid receptor activation contributes to the age-related blood pressure rise and illustrates the importance of aldosterone in determining cardiovascular risk. Aldosterone also has a major role in progression and outcome of ischemic heart disease. These data highlight the need to understand better the regulation of aldosterone synthesis and its action. Aldosterone effects are mediated mainly through classical nuclear receptors that alter gene transcription. In classic epithelial target tissues, signaling mechanisms are relatively well defined. However, aldosterone has major effects in nonepithelial tissues that include increased synthesis of proinflammatory molecules and reactive oxygen species; it remains unclear how these effects are controlled and how receptor specificity is maintained. Variation in aldosterone production reflects interaction of genetic and environmental factors. Although the environmental factors are well understood, the genetic control of aldosterone synthesis is still the subject of debate. Aldosterone synthase (encoded by the CYP11B2 gene) controls conversion of deoxycorticosterone to aldosterone. Polymorphic variation in CYP11B2 is associated with increased risk of hypertension, but the molecular mechanism that accounts for this is not known. Altered 11beta-hydroxylase efficiency (conversion of deoxycortisol to cortisol) as a consequence of variation in the neighboring gene (CYP11B1) may be important in contributing to altered control of aldosterone synthesis, so that the risk of hypertension may reflect a digenic effect, a concept that is discussed further. There is evidence that a long-term increase in aldosterone production from early life is determined by an interaction of genetic and environmental factors, leading to the eventual phenotypes of aldosterone-associated hypertension and cardiovascular damage in middle age and beyond. The importance of aldosterone has generated interest in its therapeutic modulation. Disadvantages associated with spironolactone (altered libido, gynecomastia) have led to a search for alternative mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. Of these, eplerenone has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk after myocardial infarction. The benefits and disadvantages of this therapeutic approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M C Connell
- Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre, 126 University Place, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
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