Orexin-A/OX1R is involved in regulation of autophagy to promote cortisol secretion in adrenocortical cell

BACKGROUND

Hypercortisolism has emerged as a prominent clinical condition worldwide caused by biochemical cortisol excess in patients, and optimization treatment is needed urgently in the clinic. Previously, we observed that orexin-A/orexin type 1 receptor (OX1R) promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and increased cortisol release in adrenocortical cells. However, the functions of orexin-A/OX1R on autophagy and its molecular mechanism are not known.

METHODS

Transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscope were performed to detect autophagosomes. Western blot were performed to detect autophagy proteins. The cortisol concentration was assessed with an ELISA.

FINDINGS

Our data demonstrated that orexin-A/OX1R activated the mammalian target of rapamycin/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase-1 pathway, thereby inhibiting autophagy in H295R cells and Y-1 cells. Furthermore, the orexin-A/OX1R-mediated suppression of autophagy played a crucial role in cortisol secretion. Mechanistically, the expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/isomerase, the rate-limiting enzyme in cortisol synthesis, was increased with autophagy inhibition mediated by orexin-A/OX1R.

INTERPRETATION

This study provided the evidence that orexin-A/OX1R participated in modulating mTOR/p70S6K1/autophagy signaling pathway to promote cortisol secretion in adrenocortical cell. The findings suggest the mechanistic basis for disorders of cortisol secretion, providing the potential therapeutic targets for hypercortisolism treatment. FUND: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (32170603, 31871286), the Doctoral Start-up Foundation of Liaoning Province (20180540008, 2019-BS-298), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (2019-ZD-0779), and Shenyang Science and Technology Plan Fund Projects (21-173-9-28).

Comparative proteomic analysis to identify the novel target gene of angiotensin II in adrenocortical H295R cells

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a well-known peptide that maintains the balance of electrolytes in the higher vertebrates. Ang II stimulation in the adrenal gland induces the synthesis of mineralocorticoids, mainly aldosterone, through the up-regulation of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene expression. Additionally, it has been reported that Ang II activates multiple signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Ca²⁺ signaling. Although Ang II has various effects on the cellular signaling in the adrenal cells, its biological significance, except for the aldosterone synthesis, is still unclear. In this study, we attempted to search the novel target gene(s) of Ang II in the human adrenal H295R cells using a proteomic approach combined with stable isotopic labeling using amino acid in cell culture (SILAC). Interestingly, we found that Ang II stimulation elevated the expression of phosphofructokinase type platelet (PFKP) in both protein and mRNA levels. Moreover, transactivation of PFKP by Ang II was dependent on extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 activation. Finally, we observed that Ang II treatment facilitated glucose uptake in the H295R cells. Taken together, we here identified PFKP as a novel target gene of Ang II, indicating that Ang II not only stimulates steroidogenesis but also affects glucose metabolism.

Comparison of aldosterone synthesis in adrenal cells, effect of various AT1 receptor blockers with or without atrial natriuretic peptide

Bifunctional angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor blockers (ARBs) that can block the activation of not only AT1 receptor, but also neprilysin, which metabolizes vasoactive peptides including atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), are currently being developed. However, the usefulness of the inactivation of ANP in addition to the AT1 receptor with regard to aldosterone (Ald) synthesis is not yet clear. We evaluated the inhibitory effects of various ARBs combined with or without ANP on Ang II-induced adrenal Ald synthesis using a human adrenocortical cell line (NCI-H295R). Ang II increased Ald synthesis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Ald synthesis induced by Ang II was completely blocked by azilsartan, but not PD123319 (AT2 receptor antagonist). CGP42112 AT2 receptor agonist did not affect Ald synthesis. While most ARBs block Ang II-induced Ald synthesis to different extents, azilsartan and olmesartan have similar blocking effects on Ald synthesis. The different effects of ARBs were particularly observed at 10(-7) and 10(-8 )M. ANP attenuated Ang II-induced Ald synthesis, and ANP-mediated attenuation of Ang II-induced Ald synthesis were blocked by inhibitors of G-protein signaling subtype 4 and protein kinase G. ANP (10(-8) and 10(-7 )M) without ARBs inhibited Ald synthesis, and the combination of ANP (10(-7 )M) and ARB (10(-8 )M) had an additive effect with respect to the inhibition of Ald synthesis. In conclusions, ARBs had differential effects on Ang II-induced Ald synthesis, and ANP may help to block Ald synthesis when the dose of ARB is not sufficient to block its secretion.

Autocrine positive regulatory feedback of glucocorticoid secretion: glucocorticoid receptor directly impacts H295R human adrenocortical cell function

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a ubiquitous transcriptional factor, regulates target gene expression upon activation by glucocorticoids, notably cortisol, a corticosteroid hormone synthesized in the adrenal cortex. We thus hypothesized that both GR and cortisol might be involved in the regulation of adrenal physiology and steroidogenesis in an autocrine manner. In a cortisol-secreting human adrenocortical cell line (H295R), the GR-dependent signaling pathway was pharmacologically modulated either by dexamethasone (DEX), a GR agonist or by RU486, a GR antagonist, or was knocked-down by small interfering RNA strategy (SiRNA). We showed that GR activation, elicited by 48 h exposure to DEX, exerts a global positive regulatory effect on adrenal steroidogenesis as revealed by a 1.5- to 2-fold increase in cortisol, 11-deoxycortisol and 17-hydroxyprogesterone secretion associated with a significant enhanced expression of steroidogenesis factors such as StAR, CYP11A1, CYP21A2 and CYP11B1. In sharp contrast, RU486 treatment exerted opposite effects by decreasing both steroid production and expression of these steroidogenic factors. Likewise, GR repression by SiRNA also significantly reduced StAR, CYP11A1, and CYP11B1 mRNA levels. Interestingly, RU486 resulted in a significant CYP21A2 enzymatic blockade as demonstrated by a massive increase in 17-hydroxyprogesterone concentrations in RU486-treated H295R cell supernatants, while cortisol and 11-deoxycortisol secretions were reduced by more than 60%. Consistently, we also demonstrated that metabolic conversion of 17-hydroxyprogesterone into 11-deoxycortisol onto H295R cells was drastically blunted in the presence of RU 486. Finally, steady state levels of MC2R transcripts encoding for the ACTH receptor were significantly induced by DEX, unlikely through a direct GR-mediated transcriptional activation as opposed to CYP11A1 and FKBP5 target genes. These results could account for a higher glucocorticoid-elicited ACTH sensitivity of adrenocortical cells. Our study identifies a positive ultra-short regulatory loop exerted by GR on steroidogenesis in H295R cells, thus supporting a complex intra-adrenal GR-mediated feedback, likely relevant for human adrenocortical pathologies.