title: Mechanism of glucocorticoid receptor down-regulation by glucocorticoids.
abstract: The effect of glucocorticoids on the regulation of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was studied in two different cell lines, human IM-9 lymphocytes and rat pancreatic acinar AR42J cells. Using a glucocorticoid receptor cDNA probe, glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was examined by Northern blot hybridization and quantitated by slot-blot hybridization. In IM-9 and AR42J cells, dexamethasone decreased steady-state glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels to approximately 50% of control. This decrease occurred with a one-half time of 3 h for IM-9 cells and 6 h for AR42J cells. Dexamethasone was the most potent steroid tested with a one-half maximal effect occurring at 10 nM and a maximal effect occurring at 100 nM. Glucocorticoid receptor mRNA half-life and gene transcription were then studied to determine the mechanism of decreased mRNA levels. The glucocorticoid mRNA half-life was approximately 120 min in IM-9 cells and 240 min in AR42J cells; these rates were not affected by dexamethasone treatment. In contrast, the rate of glucocorticoid gene transcription as measured by run-on assays in IM-9 cells was decreased to 50 +/- 6% of control by dexamethasone. These results indicate therefore that glucocorticoids regulate glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels by influencing gene transcription.
authors.affiliation: Cell Biology Laboratory, Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center, San Francisco, California 94120.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rosewicz
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Maddux
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Goldfine
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Miesfeld
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Logsdon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000502:physiology*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000378:metabolism; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D003907:Dexamethasone