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Bechmann N, Berger I, Bornstein SR, Steenblock C. Adrenal medulla development and medullary-cortical interactions. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 528:111258. [PMID: 33798635 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian adrenal gland is composed of two distinct tissue types in a bidirectional connection, the catecholamine-producing medulla derived from the neural crest and the mesoderm-derived cortex producing steroids. The medulla mainly consists of chromaffin cells derived from multipotent nerve-associated descendants of Schwann cell precursors. Already during adrenal organogenesis, close interactions between cortex and medulla are necessary for proper differentiation and morphogenesis of the gland. Moreover, communication between the cortex and the medulla ensures a regular function of the adult adrenal. In tumor development, interfaces between the two parts are also common. Here, we summarize the development of the mammalian adrenal medulla and the current understanding of the cortical-medullary interactions under development and in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Bechmann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Department of Experimental Diabetology, Nuthetal, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ilona Berger
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan R Bornstein
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Steenblock
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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2
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Kastriti ME, Kameneva P, Adameyko I. Stem cells, evolutionary aspects and pathology of the adrenal medulla: A new developmental paradigm. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2020; 518:110998. [PMID: 32818585 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.110998] [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: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian adrenal gland is composed of two main components; the catecholaminergic neural crest-derived medulla, found in the center of the gland, and the mesoderm-derived cortex producing steroidogenic hormones. The medulla is composed of neuroendocrine chromaffin cells with oxygen-sensing properties and is dependent on tissue interactions with the overlying cortex, both during development and in adulthood. Other relevant organs include the Zuckerkandl organ containing extra-adrenal chromaffin cells, and carotid oxygen-sensing bodies containing glomus cells. Chromaffin and glomus cells reveal a number of important similarities and are derived from the multipotent nerve-associated descendants of the neural crest, or Schwann cell precursors. Abnormalities in complex developmental processes during differentiation of nerve-associated and other progenitors into chromaffin and oxygen-sensing populations may result in different subtypes of paraganglioma, neuroblastoma and pheochromocytoma. Here, we summarize recent findings explaining the development of chromaffin and oxygen-sensing cells, as well as the potential mechanisms driving neuroendocrine tumor initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Eleni Kastriti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Polina Kameneva
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Igor Adameyko
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden; Department of Molecular Neurosciences, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Bornstein SR, Berger I, Scriba L, Santambrogio A, Steenblock C. Adrenal cortex–medulla interactions in adaptation to stress and disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coemr.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Berger I, Werdermann M, Bornstein SR, Steenblock C. The adrenal gland in stress - Adaptation on a cellular level. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2019; 190:198-206. [PMID: 30959152 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2019.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Human individuals are constantly confronted to various kinds of stressors and the body's response and adaptation is essential for human health. The adrenal gland as the main producer of stress hormones plays a major role in the response to physiological challenges and is able to adapt to these physiological needs. Proper adaptation is of particular importance since dysregulation of the stress system is the cause of various human diseases including obesity, depression, Parkinson's disease, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the physiological, cellular, and molecular underpinnings of the stress adaptation in humans. Because of ethical reasons it is problematic to study the plasticity of the human gland in stress. Hence, various experimental models have been established for the analysis of the functional and cellular role of the adrenal gland adaptation on a translational approach. Here, we summarize the insights of stress-induced adrenal plasticity gained from these models and discuss their relevance to clinical observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Berger
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Werdermann
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stefan R Bornstein
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Charlotte Steenblock
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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5
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Isolation and characterization of adrenocortical progenitors involved in the adaptation to stress. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12997-13002. [PMID: 30514817 PMCID: PMC6304967 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1814072115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans are constantly confronted with multiple stressors, to which the bodily response and adaptation are essential. The adrenal gland plays a major role in the response to physiological challenges. Maintenance of the adrenal is partly accomplished by proliferation and differentiation of adult progenitors and stem cells in the cortex and medulla. In this study, we have isolated and characterized a subpopulation of adrenocortical progenitors, which are interconnected with adrenomedullary stress-dependent progenitors. Under stress, the adrenocortical progenitors are also activated and they mobilize, giving rise to steroidogenic cells. Our findings demonstrate the coordinated action of stress-inducible stem cells to ensure tissue remodeling and cellular and functional adaptation to stress. The adrenal gland is a master regulator of the human body during response to stress. This organ shows constant replacement of senescent cells by newly differentiated cells. A high degree of plasticity is critical to sustain homeostasis under different physiological demands. This is achieved in part through proliferation and differentiation of adult adrenal progenitors. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a Nestin+ population of adrenocortical progenitors located under the adrenal capsule and scattered throughout the cortex. These cells are interconnected with progenitors in the medulla. In vivo lineage tracing revealed that, under basal conditions, this population is noncommitted and slowly migrates centripetally. Under stress, this migration is greatly enhanced, and the cells differentiate into steroidogenic cells. Nestin+ cells cultured in vitro also show multipotency, as they differentiate into mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid-producing cells, which can be further influenced by the exposure to Angiotensin II, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and the agonist of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, triptorelin. Taken together, Nestin+ cells in the adult adrenal cortex exhibit the features of adrenocortical progenitor cells. Our study provides evidence for a role of Nestin+ cells in organ homeostasis and emphasizes their role under stress. This cell population might be a potential source of cell replacement for the treatment of adrenal insufficiency.
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Balyura M, Gelfgat E, Steenblock C, Androutsellis-Theotokis A, Ruiz-Babot G, Guasti L, Werdermann M, Ludwig B, Bornstein T, Schally AV, Brennand A, Bornstein SR. Expression of progenitor markers is associated with the functionality of a bioartificial adrenal cortex. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194643. [PMID: 29596439 PMCID: PMC5875767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Encapsulation of primary bovine adrenocortical cells in alginate is an efficacious model of a bioartificial adrenal cortex. Such a bioartificial adrenal cortex can be used for the restoration of lost adrenal function in vivo as well as for in vitro modeling of the adrenal microenvironment and for investigation of cell–cell interactions in the adrenals. The aim of this work was the optimization of a bioartificial adrenal cortex, that is the generation of a highly productive, self-regenerating, long-term functioning and immune tolerant bioartificial organ. To achieve this, it is necessary that adrenocortical stem and progenitor cells are present in the bioartificial gland, as these undifferentiated cells play important roles in the function of the mature gland. Here, we verified the presence of adrenocortical progenitors in cultures of bovine adrenocortical cells, studied the dynamics of their appearance and growth and determined the optimal time point for cell encapsulation. These procedures increased the functional life span and reduced the immunogenicity of the bioartificial adrenal cortex. This model allows the use of the luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist triptorelin, the neuropeptide bombesin, and retinoic acid to alter cell number and the release of cortisol over long periods of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariya Balyura
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Evgeny Gelfgat
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Charlotte Steenblock
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Gerard Ruiz-Babot
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leonardo Guasti
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Werdermann
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Barbara Ludwig
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Centre Munich at University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tobias Bornstein
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew V. Schally
- Divisions of Endocrinology and Hematology–Oncology, Departments of Medicine and Department of Pathology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States of America
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Ana Brennand
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan R. Bornstein
- University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dept. of Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of Helmholtz Centre Munich at University Clinic Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden Faculty of Medicine, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Steenblock C, Rubin de Celis MF, Androutsellis-Theotokis A, Sue M, Delgadillo Silva LF, Eisenhofer G, Andoniadou CL, Bornstein SR. Adrenal cortical and chromaffin stem cells: Is there a common progeny related to stress adaptation? Mol Cell Endocrinol 2017; 441:156-163. [PMID: 27637345 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Revised: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adrenal gland is a highly plastic organ with the capacity to adapt the body homeostasis to different physiological needs. The existence of stem-like cells in the adrenal cortex has been revealed in many studies. Recently, we identified and characterized in mice a pool of glia-like multipotent Nestin-expressing progenitor cells, which contributes to the plasticity of the adrenal medulla. In addition, we found that these Nestin progenitors are actively involved in the stress response by giving rise to chromaffin cells. Interestingly, we also observed a Nestin-GFP-positive cell population located under the adrenal capsule and scattered through the cortex. In this article, we discuss the possibility of a common progenitor giving rise to subpopulations of cells both in the adrenal cortex and medulla, the isolation and characterization of this progenitor as well as its clinical potential in transplantation therapies and in pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Steenblock
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | | | - Andreas Androutsellis-Theotokis
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering and Modelling (STEM), Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Mariko Sue
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Graeme Eisenhofer
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cynthia L Andoniadou
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stefan R Bornstein
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, King's College London, London, UK
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Neural differentiation potential of sympathoadrenal progenitors derived from fresh and cryopreserved neonatal porcine adrenal glands. Cryobiology 2016; 73:152-61. [PMID: 27539465 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2016.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Stem/progenitor cells are thought to have the potential in the treatment of severe neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, sympathoadrenal progenitors expressing specific markers of neural crest derivatives and capable to differentiate into neurons were discovered in adult bovine and human adrenal glands, but there was no reported data on cryopreservation of sympathoadrenal progenitors. The aim of the present study was to examine the neural differentiation potential of sympathoadrenal progenitors derived from fresh and cryopreserved neonatal porcine adrenal glands. Considering impact of various initial state of frozen biomaterial on cell recovery, we carried out a comparative estimation of cryopreservation outcome both for adrenal tissue fragments and isolated primary cells. The estimation consisted of determining cell yield, viability, ability to adhere, proliferate and differentiate in vitro. Cells isolated from the fresh adrenal glands were cultured until confluence. A formation of sympathoadrenal progenitors-embedded spherical cell colonies, whose cells are differentiated then into βIII-tubulin-positive cells with neuron-like morphology, was observed on the monolayer. The colonies were well preserved after cryopreservation of cell culture with a cooling rate of 1 °C/min in the cryoprotectant media containing 5-15% of dimethylsulfoxide. Adrenal tissue fragments were cryopreserved in the presence of 10% dimethylsulfoxide at the cooling rates of 0.3; 1: 5; 40 and > 100 °C/min. Sympathoadrenal progenitors were recovered after cryopreservation with 0.3 °C/min cooling rate but not higher.
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9
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Vinson GP. Functional Zonation of the Adult Mammalian Adrenal Cortex. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:238. [PMID: 27378832 PMCID: PMC4908136 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The standard model of adrenocortical zonation holds that the three main zones, glomerulosa, fasciculata, and reticularis each have a distinct function, producing mineralocorticoids (in fact just aldosterone), glucocorticoids, and androgens respectively. Moreover, each zone has its specific mechanism of regulation, though ACTH has actions throughout. Finally, the cells of the cortex originate from a stem cell population in the outer cortex or capsule, and migrate centripetally, changing their phenotype as they progress through the zones. Recent progress in understanding the development of the gland and the distribution of steroidogenic enzymes, trophic hormone receptors, and other factors suggests that this model needs refinement. Firstly, proliferation can take place throughout the gland, and although the stem cells are certainly located in the periphery, zonal replenishment can take place within zones. Perhaps more importantly, neither the distribution of enzymes nor receptors suggest that the individual zones are necessarily autonomous in their production of steroid. This is particularly true of the glomerulosa, which does not seem to have the full suite of enzymes required for aldosterone biosynthesis. Nor, in the rat anyway, does it express MC2R to account for the response of aldosterone to ACTH. It is known that in development, recruitment of stem cells is stimulated by signals from within the glomerulosa. Furthermore, throughout the cortex local regulatory factors, including cytokines, catecholamines and the tissue renin-angiotensin system, modify and refine the effects of the systemic trophic factors. In these and other ways it more and more appears that the functions of the gland should be viewed as an integrated whole, greater than the sum of its component parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin P Vinson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London London, UK
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10
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Vukicevic V, Rubin de Celis MF, Pellegata NS, Bornstein SR, Androutsellis-Theotokis A, Ehrhart-Bornstein M. Adrenomedullary progenitor cells: Isolation and characterization of a multi-potent progenitor cell population. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 408:178-84. [PMID: 25575455 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2014.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2014] [Revised: 12/25/2014] [Accepted: 12/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The adrenal is a highly plastic organ with the ability to adjust to physiological needs by adapting hormone production but also by generating and regenerating both adrenocortical and adrenomedullary tissue. It is now apparent that many adult tissues maintain stem and progenitor cells that contribute to their maintenance and adaptation. Research from the last years has proven the existence of stem and progenitor cells also in the adult adrenal medulla throughout life. These cells maintain some neural crest properties and have the potential to differentiate to the endocrine and neural lineages. In this article, we discuss the evidence for the existence of adrenomedullary multi potent progenitor cells, their isolation and characterization, their differentiation potential as well as their clinical potential in transplantation therapies but also in pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Vukicevic
- Division of Molecular Endocrinology, Medical Clinic III, Carl Gustav Carus University Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Fernandez Rubin de Celis
- Division of Molecular Endocrinology, Medical Clinic III, Carl Gustav Carus University Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Natalia S Pellegata
- Institute of Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan R Bornstein
- Medical Clinic III, Carl Gustav Carus University Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Androutsellis-Theotokis
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Division of Stem Cell Biology, Medical Clinic III, Carl Gustav Carus University Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Monika Ehrhart-Bornstein
- Division of Molecular Endocrinology, Medical Clinic III, Carl Gustav Carus University Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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11
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Quinn TA, Ratnayake U, Dickinson H, Nguyen TH, McIntosh M, Castillo-Melendez M, Conley AJ, Walker DW. Ontogeny of the adrenal gland in the spiny mouse, with particular reference to production of the steroids cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone. Endocrinology 2013; 154:1190-201. [PMID: 23354096 DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of the androgen dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) by the fetal adrenal gland is important for placental estrogen production and may also be important for modulating the effects of glucocorticoids on the developing brain. The presence of cortisol in spiny mouse (Acomys cahirinus) blood led us to determine whether the adrenal gland of this precocial rodent also synthesized DHEA. Cytochrome P450 enzyme 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17), cytochrome-b5 (Cytb5), and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3βHSD) were detected in the adrenal gland from 30 days gestation (term = 39 days), and DHEA, cortisol, and aldosterone were detected in fetal plasma from this time. Plasma DHEA concentrations increased 4-fold, whereas cortisol concentrations decreased from day 30 of gestation until the day of birth. Explant culture of fetal adrenal tissue showed that DHEA was produced from exogenous pregnenolone, and thus, the DHEA in the fetal circulation is likely to be of fetal origin. Clear zonation of the fetal adrenal cortex was evident by 38 days gestation when expression of Cytb5 was present throughout the cortex, and coexpression of P450c17 and Cytb5 occurred in the zona reticularis and fasciculata. 3βHSD was expressed in the cortex from at least 30 days gestation and decreased as term approached, consistent with the fall of cortisol in late gestation in this species. These results show that the spiny mouse adrenal gland, like that of the human fetus, can synthesize and secrete DHEA from at least 30 days (relative gestation length, 30 days of a 39-day gestation, 0.76) of gestation, and DHEA may have important roles in placental biosynthesis of estrogens and in modulating the actions of glucocorticoids in the developing brain in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey A Quinn
- The Ritchie Centre, Monash Institute of Medical Research, 27-31 Wright Street, Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3168
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Santana MM, Chung KF, Vukicevic V, Rosmaninho-Salgado J, Kanczkowski W, Cortez V, Hackmann K, Bastos CA, Mota A, Schrock E, Bornstein SR, Cavadas C, Ehrhart-Bornstein M. Isolation, characterization, and differentiation of progenitor cells from human adult adrenal medulla. Stem Cells Transl Med 2012. [PMID: 23197690 DOI: 10.5966/sctm.2012-0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chromaffin cells, sympathetic neurons of the dorsal ganglia, and the intermediate small intensely fluorescent cells derive from a common neural crest progenitor cell. Contrary to the closely related sympathetic nervous system, within the adult adrenal medulla a subpopulation of undifferentiated progenitor cells persists, and recently, we established a method to isolate and differentiate these progenitor cells from adult bovine adrenals. However, no studies have elucidated the existence of adrenal progenitor cells within the human adrenal medulla. Here we describe the isolation, characterization, and differentiation of chromaffin progenitor cells obtained from adult human adrenals. Human chromaffin progenitor cells were cultured in low-attachment conditions for 10-12 days as free-floating spheres in the presence of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and epidermal growth factor. These primary human chromosphere cultures were characterized by the expression of several progenitor markers, including nestin, CD133, Notch1, nerve growth factor receptor, Snai2, Sox9, Sox10, Phox2b, and Ascl1 on the molecular level and of Sox9 on the immunohistochemical level. In opposition, phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT), a marker for differentiated chromaffin cells, significantly decreased after 12 days in culture. Moreover, when plated on poly-l-lysine/laminin-coated slides in the presence of FGF-2, human chromaffin progenitor cells were able to differentiate into two distinct neuron-like cell types, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)(+)/β-3-tubulin(+) cells and TH(-)/β-3-tubulin(+) cells, and into chromaffin cells (TH(+)/PNMT(+)). This study demonstrates the presence of progenitor cells in the human adrenal medulla and reveals their potential use in regenerative medicine, especially in the treatment of neuroendocrine and neurodegenerative diseases.
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