title: Effect of chronic ACTH treatment on guinea-pig adrenal steroidogenesis: steroid plasma levels, steroid adrenal levels, activity of steroidogenic enzymes and their steady-state mRNA levels.
abstract: We report here the effects of a 7-day treatment of guinea-pigs with ACTH on adrenal mRNA levels for steroid-transforming enzymes. Adrenal 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 4-ene-5-ene-isomerase (3 beta-HSD), 17-hydroxylase, 17,20-lyase, 21-hydroxylase and 11-hydroxylase activities were also examined as well as plasma and adrenal steroid levels. Our data reveal that chronic ACTH-treatment stimulated all post-pregnenolone enzyme activities in glomerulosa-fasciculata cells. Plasma steroid levels increased 8 h after the last injection of ACTH and returned to the control levels 24 h later whereas, in the adrenal, the content in steroids in the group sacrificed 8 h after the last injection of ACTH were similar to the values of the control group and decreased markedly 24 h later. It is suggested that the steroid turn-over in the adrenal may be affected by the chronic ACTH-treatment. On the other hand, despite the significant stimulation in steroid-transforming enzyme activities, our data reveal that chronic ACTH administration caused a decrease in mRNA levels for P450c21 and P450c17 while P450scc, 3 beta-HSD and P450c11 remained unchanged. Taken together, these results suggest that in vivo chronic ACTH-treatment of guinea-pigs increases adrenal steroidogenic capacity by increasing steroid secretion and steroid enzyme activity. Moreover, the chronic treatment with ACTH may have a post-transcriptional effect on steroidogenic enzymes gene expression by affecting the half-life of their mRNAs.
authors.affiliation: MRC Group in Molecular Endocrinology, CHUL Research Center, Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Provencher
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belanger
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000446:Aldehyde-Lyases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D011372:Progestins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D011372:Progestins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013256:Steroids; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D000446:Aldehyde-Lyases