title: Steroidogenic properties of isolated adrenocortical cells from Japanese quail selected for high serum corticosterone response to immobilization.
abstract: The effect of selection for high stress response on adrenocortical function was examined by measuring the corticosterone response of adrenocortical cells isolated from random-bred Japanese quail and quail selected for high serum corticosterone response to immobilization (high-stress). Highly enriched adrenocortical cells were incubated with various concentrations of ACTH1-24 (ACTH), 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8Br-cAMP) and pregnenolone for 2 hr. Corticosterone production was measured by radioimmunoassay. Basal corticosterone production values by cells from random-bred and high-stress birds were not different. In contrast, the average maximal ACTH- and 8Br-cAMP-induced corticosterone production by cells from high-stress quail was 89% greater than that of cells from random-bred quail. However, the average pregnenolone-supported corticosterone production by cells from high-stress birds was 34% less than that of cells from random-bred birds. Thus, the data suggest that although random-bred quail cells had a greater potential capacity for corticosterone production, high-stress quail cells had a greater ability to couple ACTH, ACTH-transmembrane-signaling factors and subsequent second messengers with the available steroidogenic enzyme pool. The magnitude of the differences in function between cells from high-stress and random-bred birds was greater for female cells compared to male cells. In addition to differences in cellular function, there were also differences in adrenal and relative adrenal weights between random-bred and high-stress quail. The average, adrenal and relative (mg/100 g body weight) adrenal weights of high-stress quail were 14-16% greater than those of random-bred quail. It is concluded that the enhanced serum corticosterone response of the high-stress quail line is, in part, due to an increase in relative adrenal weight and an increase in adrenocortical cell responsiveness to ACTH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick 08903.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Carsia
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Satterlee
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D003370:Coturnix / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007103:Immobilization; D008297:Male; D011784:Quail / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003345:Corticosterone