title: Regulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis enzymes and organic anion transporters by forskolin and DHEA-S treatment in adrenocortical cells.
abstract: Several important physiological functions are regulated by cortisol. Previously, we demonstrated the involvement of human organic anion transporter 3 (hOAT3) in cortisol release. In the present study, we investigated the influence of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) and estrone sulfate on cortisol release in a human adrenocortical cell line (NCI-H295R) compared with forskolin stimulation. Additionally, we examined the impact of forskolin and DHEA-S on the expression of key enzymes in steroid biosynthesis and expression of hOAT3 and -4 in NCI-H295R cells. The cortisol release was increased 10-fold after 24-h incubation with DHEA-S, but incubation with estrone sulfate did not show any significant change in cortisol release. When cells were incubated with DHEA-S in the presence of forskolin, an additive influence of DHEA-S stimulation of cortisol was recorded over forskolin alone. The 24-h stimulation of NCI-H295R cells with forskolin increased the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), CYP17, CYP21A2, and CYP11A1, whereas only StAR mRNA expression was increased significantly by incubation with DHEA-S. Immunofluorescence analyses revealed strongly elevated expression of hOAT3 by forskolin as well as by DHEA-S stimulation. We conclude that the increased cortisol release of adrenocortical cells by DHEA-S and forskolin stimulation is probably due to high expression of the key enzymes of steroid biosynthesis and hOAT3.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Universität Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Abdul R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Asif
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ljubojevic
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sabolic
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shnitsar
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metten
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Anzai
authors.forename: Gerhard A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burckhardt
authors.forename: Yohannes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hagos
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005576:Colforsin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006728:Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013256:Steroids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004798:Enzymes; D006728:Hormones; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D029362:Organic Anion Transporters, Sodium-Independent; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C427207:SLC22A11 protein, human; D013256:Steroids; C114338:organic anion transport protein 3; D005576:Colforsin; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate