Cardiac receptors for glucocorticoids in the rat

Determination of occupied cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptor sites by an exchange assay in rat muscles

We have established an assay to determine total cytoplasmic glucocorticoid receptor sites in heart, vastus and levator-ani-bulbocavernosus muscles from rats. We have tested the exchange of endogenously bound hormone with labeled triamcinolone acetonide by performing long incubation at 0-4 degrees C. This procedure appeared to produce an adequate exchange of exogenously added unlabeled corticosterone in the range of 16 nM (normal unstressed concentration of corticosterone in plasma) with vastus and levator ani-bulbocavernosus muscles. Beyond that level, the displacement of unlabeled corticosterone by labeled triamcinolone acetonide was less efficient. By contrast, in heart and especially in liver cytosols, the exchange was adequate even in the presence of high concentrations of corticosterone (64 and 460 nM respectively). Using the exchange assay conditions (20 h of incubation at 0-4 degrees C with 16 nM of labeled triamcinolone acetonide), we found no significant difference between glucocorticoid receptor levels in intact male and female rats. In both sexes, these glucocorticoid receptor values were not affected by gonadectomy, but increased more than 2-fold after adrenalectomy. No seasonal variations were recorded in intact or adrenalectomized rats.

Specific cytosol binding of diethylstilbestrol in rat skeletal muscle

Rat skeletal muscle cytosol proteins bound 3H-diethylstilbestrol (3H-DES). More than 90% of this binding was high capacity and low affinity. Serum albumin accounted for roughly 50-60% of the binding, as evidenced by its precipitation with anti-rat albumin IgG. About half of the binding was distinguishable from albumin and other serum proteins by its precipitation in 40% saturated ammonium sulfate. This material sedimented at 4-5S in high-salt sucrose gradients, and resolved into two components (8S and 4-5S) in low-salt. Following incubation at 23-27 degree C for one hour, 2% of the bound 3H-DES in whole cytosol (approximately 2 fmole/Mg cytosol protein) was retained by DNA cellulose, and was eluted with 0.6 M KCl. This small fraction of the total binding was inhibited by estrogens and DES analogues: estradiol-17 beta, DES, dienestrol, and hexestrol were strong inhibitors; isodienestrol, dimethylstilbestrol, estradiol-17 alpha, estrone, tamoxifen, MER-25, CI-628, and nafoxidine were weak inhibitors; dihydrotestosterone, testosterone, and prednisone did not compete. These observations indicate that specific estrogen-binding sites exist in rat skeletal muscle.