title: Dexamethasone increases both catecholamines and methionine-enkephalin in cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells and human extramedullary pheochromocytoma cells.
abstract: The effect of dexamethasone on dispersed cells in primary monolayer culture from bovine adrenal medulla and human extramedullary pheochromocytoma was examined by estimating the level of catecholamines (CAs) and Methionine-enkephalin (Met-enk) in the medium and cells. In cultured bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, dexamethasone caused significant increase in Met-enk levels 18 hours after administration. There was no release of Met-enk and CAs in the medium 10 min after administration, although nicotine did cause a significant release of Met-enk and CAs. A dose response increase in the level of CAs and Met-enk in bovine adrenal chromaffin cells was obtained with doses varying between 0 and 10(-6)M dexamethasone 18 hours after administration. In cultured human extramedullary pheochromocytoma cells, dexamethasone significantly increased the levels of norepinephrine and Met-enk in a dose dependent manner 24 hours after administration. These results suggest that dexamethasone does not act as a secretagogue but may be related to the synthesis of Met-enk and CAs.
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002838:Chromaffin System / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D009538:Nicotine; D003907:Dexamethasone