title: The thymic factor tactivin prevents ACTH from stimulating steroidogenesis by mouse adrenal cells.
abstract: The effect of tactivin, a thymic hormonal factor, (MW 1-6 KD), on the adrenal glucocorticoid function in mice was studied. Tactivin (0.1-2 micrograms/mouse i.p.) produced a slight decrease in plasma corticosterone. The decrease was much more pronounced when tactivin was administered to mice with a high basal level of the hormone. The tactivin supplement had a significant suppressive effect on corticosterone production in both the whole adrenals and the intact isolated adrenal cells. When added at the doses of 0.00064-2 micrograms/ml to the isolated adrenal cells in the presence of ACTH, tactivin abolished the stimulatory effect of corticotropin on corticosterone production. The abolition was complete at a low dose (1.6 microIU/ml) and incomplete, yet significant, at a high dose of ACTH (1600 microIU/ml). The in vitro data are in a good agreement with those obtained in the in vivo experiments. The stimulatory effect of a synthetic analog of cAMP-Dibutyryl-cAMP on the steroidogenesis of adrenal cells was as pronounced as that of ACTH. Nevertheless, tactivin exerted no influence on Bu2-cAMP stimulation. The results indicate that tactivin prevents ACTH from acting on steroidogenesis at some time point preceding the formation of secondary messengers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cytology, USSR Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Chesnokova
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Ignatjeva
authors.forename: L N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Ivanova
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000818:Animals; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D010455:Peptides; D013949:Thymus Extracts; D003994:Bucladesine; C036191:T-activin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone