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Vítků J, Hampl R. Steroid Conjugates and Their Physiological Role. Physiol Res 2023; 72:S317-S322. [PMID: 38116768 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.935080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
While there are hundreds of synthetic steroids conjugates with acids, sugars, proteins and other molecules, only two types of conjugates occur in living organisms, namely sulfates and glucuronides. Steroid glucuronidation in the human liver is the main mechanism controlling the levels and biological activity of unconjugated hormones, and glucuronides are their main excretion products. This process is generally irreversible. On the other hand, sulfates possess their own biological activity that differs from that of the unconjugated steroid, emphasizing the importance of steroid sulfatases and sulfotransferases. Due to their negative charge, steroid sulfates cannot cross the blood-cell barrier and have to use transporters. Their efflux is mediated by specific transporters of the ATP binding cassette protein group, which thus are further factors controlling their physiological effects. Steroid sulfates, especially dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) are neuroactive steroids, with well-known effects as allosteric modulators of some neurotransmitter receptors, functioning as ion channels, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid, type A (GABAA) receptors or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In this minireview, we highlight some recent findings of non-genomic steroid sulfate actions through specific G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), which we believe show the way of further research. A few studies have even indicated that sulfates such as DHEAS may even indirectly regulate gene expression via ligand binding to the membrane receptor and, through G-protein and second messenger formation, activate proteins like cAMP Regulated Elements Binding protein (CREB), which then binds to regulated DNA elements of the expressed gene, in a "classical" genomic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Vítků
- Department of Steroids and Proteofactors, Institute of Endocrinology, Prague, Czech Republic.
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Abramova V, Leal Alvarado V, Hill M, Smejkalova T, Maly M, Vales K, Dittert I, Bozikova P, Kysilov B, Hrcka Krausova B, Vyklicky V, Balik A, Fili K, Korinek M, Chodounska H, Kudova E, Ciz D, Martinovic J, Cerny J, Bartunek P, Vyklicky L. Effects of Pregnanolone Glutamate and Its Metabolites on GABA A and NMDA Receptors and Zebrafish Behavior. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1870-1883. [PMID: 37126803 PMCID: PMC10198160 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Multiple molecular targets have been identified to mediate membrane-delimited and nongenomic effects of natural and synthetic steroids, but the influence of steroid metabolism on neuroactive steroid signaling is not well understood. To begin to address this question, we set out to identify major metabolites of a neuroprotective synthetic steroid 20-oxo-5β-pregnan-3α-yl l-glutamyl 1-ester (pregnanolone glutamate, PAG) and characterize their effects on GABAA and NMDA receptors (GABARs, NMDARs) and their influence on zebrafish behavior. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to assess concentrations of PAG and its metabolites in the hippocampal tissue of juvenile rats following intraperitoneal PAG injection. PAG is metabolized in the peripheral organs and nervous tissue to 20-oxo-17α-hydroxy-5β-pregnan-3α-yl l-glutamyl 1-ester (17-hydroxypregnanolone glutamate, 17-OH-PAG), 3α-hydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one (pregnanolone, PA), and 3α,17α-dihydroxy-5β-pregnan-20-one (17-hydroxypregnanolone, 17-OH-PA). Patch-clamp electrophysiology experiments in cultured hippocampal neurons demonstrate that PA and 17-OH-PA are potent positive modulators of GABARs, while PAG and 17-OH-PA have a moderate inhibitory effect at NMDARs. PAG, 17-OH-PA, and PA diminished the locomotor activity of zebrafish larvae in a dose-dependent manner. Our results show that PAG and its metabolites are potent modulators of neurotransmitter receptors with behavioral consequences and indicate that neurosteroid-based ligands may have therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Abramova
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Charles
University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague 10,Czech Republic
| | - Vanessa Leal Alvarado
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Hill
- Institute
of Endocrinology, Narodni
8, 116 94 Prague
1, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Smejkalova
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Maly
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Vales
- Institute
of Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- National
Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Ivan Dittert
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Paulina Bozikova
- Institute
of Biotechnology CAS, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Bohdan Kysilov
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Hrcka Krausova
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Vyklicky
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Balik
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Klevinda Fili
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
- Charles
University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Ruska 87, 100 00 Prague 10,Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Korinek
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Chodounska
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS, Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kudova
- Institute
of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry CAS, Flemingovo nam. 2, 166 10 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - David Ciz
- IT4Innovations
National Supercomputing Center, Studentska 6231/1B, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Martinovic
- IT4Innovations
National Supercomputing Center, Studentska 6231/1B, 708 00 Ostrava-Poruba, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Cerny
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Bartunek
- Institute
of Molecular Genetics CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague, Czech Republic
- CZ-OPENSCREEN, Institute of
Molecular Genetics CAS, Videnska 1083, 142
20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Vyklicky
- Laboratory
of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of
Physiology CAS, Videnska 1083, 142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic
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Antipsychotics increase steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in the rat brainstem. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 49:1601-1608. [PMID: 34797492 PMCID: PMC8825390 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06943-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Background Neurosteroids are involved in several important brain functions and have recently been considered novel players in the mechanic actions of neuropsychiatric drugs. There are no reports of murine studies focusing on the effect of chronic neurosteroid treatment in parallel with antipsychotics on key steroidogenic enzyme expression and we therefore focused on steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in the brainstem of rats chronically treated with olanzapine and haloperidol. Methods and results Studies were carried out on adult, male Sprague–Dawley rats which were divided into 3 groups: control and experimental animals treated with olanzapine or haloperidol. Total mRNA was isolated from homogenized brainstem samples for RealTime-PCR to estimate gene expression of related aromatase, 3β-HSD and P450scc. Long-term treatment with the selected antipsychotics was reflected in the modulation of steroidogenic enzyme gene expression in the examined brainstem region; with both olanzapine and haloperidol increasing aromatase, 3β-HSD and P450scc gene expression. Conclusions The present findings shed new light on the pharmacology of antipsychotics and suggest the existence of possible regulatory interplay between neuroleptic action and steroidogenesis at the level of brainstem neuronal centres.
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