title: Metabolism of steroids in pure cultures of neurons and glial cells: role of intracellular signalling.
abstract: In the brain, the 5 alpha-reductase converting testosterone (T) is present both in neurons and in glial cells, even if it prevails in neurons; the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase (3 alpha-HSD), the enzyme converting dihydrotestosterone (DHT) into 3 alpha-diol, is particularly concentrated in type 1 astrocytes. In glial cells, since the 5 alpha-reductase is activated by a cAMP analogue, PKA seems to be involved in the control of this enzyme, postulating that nervous inputs utilizing cAMP as the second messenger might modify the activity of this enzyme in glial cells. Moreover, the results indicate that, in type 1 astrocytes, both the 5 alpha-reductase and the 3 alpha-HSD are stimulated by the co-culture with neurons and by the addition of neuron-conditioned medium, suggesting that secretory products released by neurons might intervene in the control of glial cell function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Melcangi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballabio
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Magnaghi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Celotti
mesh_terms: D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015290:Second Messenger Systems; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism*; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D042944:Cholestenone 5 alpha-Reductase; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate