Long-term administration of adrenocorticotropin modulates the expression of IGF-I and TGF-beta 1 mRNAs in the rat adrenal cortex

Functional interaction of Clock genes and bone morphogenetic proteins in the adrenal cortex

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) system in the adrenal cortex plays modulatory roles in the control of adrenocortical steroidogenesis. BMP-6 enhances aldosterone production by modulating angiotensin (Ang) II-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, whereas activin regulates the adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-cAMP cascade in adrenocortical cells. A peripheral clock system in the adrenal cortex was discovered and it has been shown to have functional roles in the adjustment of adrenocortical steroidogenesis by interacting with the BMP system. It was found that follistatin, a binding protein of activin, increased Clock mRNA levels, indicating an endogenous function of activin in the regulation of Clock mRNA expression. Elucidation of the interrelationships among the circadian clock system, the BMP system and adrenocortical steroidogenesis regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis would lead to an understanding of the pathophysiology of adrenal disorders and metabolic disorders and the establishment of better medical treatment from the viewpoint of pharmacokinetics.

Triadimefon suppresses fetal adrenal gland development after in utero exposure

Triadimefon is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent, which is widely used in agriculture to control mold and fungal infections. It is considered an endocrine disruptor. Whether triadimefon exposure can inhibit the development of fetal adrenal glands and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Thirty-two pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Dams were gavaged triadimefon (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg/day) daily for 10 days from gestational day (GD) 12 to GD 21. Triadimefon significantly reduced the thickness of the zona fasciculata of male fetuses at 100 mg/kg, although it did not change the thickness of the zona glomerulosa. It significantly reduced the serum aldosterone levels of male fetuses at a dose of 100 mg/kg, and significantly reduced serum corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg. Triadimefon significantly down-regulated the expression of Agtr1, Mc2r, Star, Cyp11b1, Cyp11b2, Igf1, Nr5a1, Sod2, Gpx1, and Cat, but did not affect the mRNA levels of Scarb1, Cyp11a1, Cyp21, Hsd3b1, and Hsd11b2. Triadimefon markedly reduced AT1R, CYP11B2, IGF1, NR5A1, and MC2R protein levels. Triadimefon significantly reduced the phosphorylation of AKT1 and ERK1/2 at 100 mg/kg without affecting the phosphorylation of AKT2. In contrast, it significantly increased AMPK phosphorylation at 100 mg/kg. In conclusion, exposure to triadimefon during gestation inhibits the development of fetal adrenal cortex in male fetuses. This inhibition is possibly due to the reduction of several proteins required for the synthesis of steroid hormones, and may be involved in changes in antioxidant contents and the phosphorylation of AKT1, ERK1/2, and AMPK.

Involvement of clock gene expression, bone morphogenetic protein and activin in adrenocortical steroidogenesis by human H295R cells

Functional interactions between the levels of clock gene expression and adrenal steroidogenesis were studied in human adrenocortical H295R cells. Fluctuations of Bmal1, Clock, Per2 and Cry1 mRNA levels were found in H295R cells treated with forskolin (FSK) in a serum-free condition. The changes of clock gene expression levels were diverged, with Clock mRNA level being significantly higher than Cry1 and Per2 mRNA levels after 12-h stimulation with FSK. After FSK induction, mRNA levels of StAR and CYP11B2 were highest at 12 hours and CYP17 mRNA level reached a peak at 6 hours, but HSD3B1 mRNA level was transiently decreased at 3 hours. The expression levels of Clock mRNA showed a significant positive correlation with StAR among the interrelationships between mRNA levels of key steroidogenic factors and clock genes. Knockdown of Clock gene by siRNA led to a significant reduction of FSK-induced expression of StAR and CYP17 after 12-h treatment with FSK. BMP-6 and activin, which modulate adrenal steroidogenesis, had inhibitory effects on Clock mRNA expression, whereas treatment with follistatin, a binding protein of activin, increased Clock mRNA levels in the presence of FSK, suggesting an endogenous function of activin in regulation of Clock mRNA expression. Collectively, the results indicated that changes of Clock mRNA expression, being upregulated by FSK and suppressed by BMP-6 and activin, were tightly linked to StAR expression by human adrenocortical cells.

Mutual effects of melatonin and activin on induction of aldosterone production by human adrenocortical cells

Melatonin has been reported to suppress adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) secretion in the anterior pituitary and cortisol production in the adrenal by different mechanisms. However, the effect of melatonin on aldosterone production has remained unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of melatonin in the regulation of aldosterone production using human adrenocortical H295R cells by focusing on the activin system expressed in the adrenal. Melatonin receptor MT1 mRNA and protein were expressed in H295R cells and the expression levels of MT1 were increased by activin treatment. Activin increased ACTH-induced, but not angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced, aldosterone production. Melatonin alone did not affect basal synthesis of either aldosterone or cortisol. However, melatonin effectively enhanced aldosterone production induced by co-treatment with ACTH and activin, although melatonin had no effect on aldosterone production induced by Ang II in combination with activin. These changes in steroidogenesis became apparent when the steroid production was evaluated by the ratio of aldosterone/cortisol. Melatonin also enhanced dibutyryl-AMP-induced aldosterone/cortisol levels in the presence of activin, suggesting a functional link to the cAMP-PKA pathway for induction of aldosterone production by melatonin and activin. In accordance with the data for steroids, ACTH-induced, but not Ang II-induced, cAMP synthesis was also amplified by co-treatment with melatonin and activin. Furthermore, the ratio of ACTH-induced mRNA level of CYP11B2 compared with that of CYP17 was amplified in the condition of treatment with both melatonin and activin. In addition, melatonin increased expression of the activin type-I receptor ALK-4 but suppressed expression of inhibitory Smads6/7, leading to the enhancement of Smad2 phosphorylation. Collectively, the results showed that melatonin facilitated aldosterone production induced by ACTH and activin via the cAMP-PKA pathway. The results also suggested that mutual enhancement of melatonin and activin receptor signaling is involved in the induction of aldosterone output by adrenocortical cells.

DNA microarray analysis of the mouse adrenal gland for the detection of hypothermia biomarkers: potential usefulness for forensic investigation

We analyzed the adrenal gland transcriptome of mice killed by hypothermia using DNA microarray technology. A total of 4051 significantly expressed genes were identified; 2015 genes were upregulated and 2036 were downregulated.The FBJ osteosarcoma oncogene was the most upregulated,whereas stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 3 was the most downregulated. Validation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that results obtained by both methods were consistent. In the gene set analysis, significant variations were found in nine pathways, and we suggest that transforming growth factor β and tumor necrosis factor α would be involved in the pathogenesis of hypothermia. Gene functional category analysis demonstrated the most overexpressed categories in upregulated and downregulated genes were cellular process in biological process, binding in molecular function, and cell and cell part in cellular component. The present study demonstrated acute adrenal responses in hypothermia, and we suggest that understanding adrenal mRNA expression would be useful for hypothermia diagnosis. Furthermore, the present microarray data may also facilitate development of immunohistochemical analysis of human cases. In forensic practice, the combination of macroscopic and microscopic observations with molecular biological analyses would be conducive to more accurate diagnosis of hypothermia. Although this study is aimed at forensic practice, the present data regarding more than 20,000 genes of the adrenal gland would be beneficial to inform future clinical hypothermia research. From the viewpoint of adrenal gene activity, they could contribute to elucidating the pathophysiology of hypothermia.

Preclinical Cushing's disease characterized by massive adrenal hyperplasia and hormonal changes after three years of metyrapone therapy

A 66-year-old woman had massive bilateral adrenal macronodular hyperplasia, found incidentally on an abdominal ultrasonogram. Her plasma ACTH and serum cortisol levels were normal, but they were not suppressed by low-dose dexamethasone. The patient did not exhibit any typical signs or symptoms of Cushing's disease. MRI showed no evidence of a tumor in the pituitary gland. A diagnosis of preclinical Cushing's disease was made, and she was treated with 11-hydroxylase inhibitor metyrapone. As the dose of metyrapone was increased, plasma ACTH levels gradually increased. After three years of treatment, she developed moon-face. Her plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were at their highest levels. A pituitary microadenoma was detected by MRI, whose source of ACTH was demonstrated by the definite step-up of central/peripheral ratio of ACTH obtained by cavernous sinus sampling. Overt Cushing's disease was diagnosed, and a pituitary tumor was removed by transsphenoidal surgery. In conclusion, the clinically and endocrinologically overt Cushing's disease characterized by macronodular adrenal hyperplasia was converted from a preclinical form. This case offers some insight into the clinical and biological features of preclinical Cushing's disease.

Stress-induced facilitation of the cortisol response in 17alpha-hydroxylase deficient XX mas-1/mas-1 carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Facilitation of the stress response results from a reduction of the inhibitory effects of circulating corticosteroids, allowing an animal to respond to a novel stressor. In this study, the existence of a facilitated cortisol stress response in normal (STD) and 17alpha-hydroxylase deficient XX mas-1/mas-1 (E5) carp was investigated. E5 carp had previously been characterized as having a low cortisol response to stress. Fish were subjected to either cortisol feeding or daily-acute stress, from 45 until 140 days post-hatch (dph) and were then subjected to a novel net-confinement stressor at 141 dph. Growth of E5 fish was reduced in both the daily-acute stress and cortisol-fed groups, but STD fish were only affected by daily-acute stress. Cortisol feeding had no effect on the stress response of STD fish but daily-acute stress significantly inhibited the response to a subsequent novel stressor. In contrast, daily-acute stress facilitated the cortisol stress response of E5 fish to a novel stressor, while cortisol feeding inhibited the cortisol response. Facilitation was accompanied by significant enlargement of the head-kidney tissue (which contains the steroidogenic interrenal tissue) in E5 fish. To our knowledge this is the first report of stress-induced facilitation in a lower vertebrate.

Novel action of activin and bone morphogenetic protein in regulating aldosterone production by human adrenocortical cells

We have uncovered a functional bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and activin system complete with ligands (BMP-6 and activin betaA/betaB), receptors (activin receptor-like kinase receptors 2, 3, and 4; activin type-II receptor; and BMP type-II receptor), and the binding protein follistatin in the human adrenocortical cell line H295R. Administration of activin and BMP-6 to cultures of H295R cells caused concentration-responsive increases in aldosterone production. The mRNA levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein or P450 steroid side-chain cleavage enzyme, the rate-limiting steps of adrenocortical steroidogenesis, were enhanced by activin and BMP-6. Activin and BMP-6 also activated the transcription of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein as well as the late-step steriodogenic enzyme CYP11B2. Activin enhanced ACTH-, forskolin-, or dibutyryl-cAMP- but not angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced aldosterone production, whereas BMP-6 specifically augmented Ang II-induced aldosterone production. Activin and ACTH but not BMP-6 increased cAMP production. Follistatin, which inhibits activin actions by binding, suppressed basal and ACTH-induced aldosterone secretion but failed to affect the Ang II-induced aldosterone level. Furthermore, MAPK signaling appeared to be involved in aldosterone production induced by Ang II and BMP-6 because an inhibitor of MAPK activation, U0126, reduced the level of aldosterone synthesis stimulated by Ang II and BMP-6 but not activin. In addition, Ang II reduced the expression levels of BMP-6 but increased that of activin betaB, whereas ACTH had no effect on these levels. Collectively, the present data suggest that activin acts to regulate adrenal aldosterone synthesis predominantly by modulating the ACTH-cAMP-protein kinase A signaling cascade, whereas BMP-6 works primarily by modulating the Ang II-MAPK cascade in human adrenal cortex in an autocrine/paracrine fashion.

Differential effect of chronic inhibition of calcium channel and angiotensin II type 1-receptor on aldosterone synthesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats

We have investigated the in vivo effect of chronic blockade of Ca(2+)-channels and angiotensin II type 1 (AT(1))-receptors on aldosterone (Aldo)-synthesis in the adrenal glands of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Male SHR were administered Ca(2+)-antagonist, amlodipine (10 mg/kg per day) or AT(1)-receptor-antagonist, TCV-116 (1 mg/kg per day) from 7 until 11 weeks of age. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were significantly higher in SHR than Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Both treatments resulted in equivalent and significant reduction in SBP in SHR. Aldo-secretion in SHR, which was significantly higher than in WKY rats, was profoundly suppressed by TCV-116 compared with amlodipine. Both treatments resulted in thickening of the zona glomerulosa, which immunohistochemically contains Aldo, at the end of therapy. Competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that CYP11A (P450scc) mRNA regulating the first step of Aldo-synthesis was significantly reduced from week 9 of age by amlodipine, and that CYP11B2 (P450aldo) mRNA regulating the last step of Aldo-synthesis was potently suppressed from 9 weeks of age by TCV-116. Our results indicate that chronic treatment with different antihypertensive agents directly modulates adrenocortical aldosterone synthesis in SHR in vivo via different mechanisms.