title: Disruption of glucocorticoid action by environmental chemicals: potential mechanisms and relevance.
abstract: Glucocorticoids play an essential role in the regulation of key physiological processes, including immunomodulation, brain function, energy metabolism, electrolyte balance and blood pressure. Exposure to naturally occurring compounds or industrial chemicals that impair glucocorticoid action may contribute to the increasing incidence of cognitive deficits, immune disorders and metabolic diseases. Potentially, "glucocorticoid disruptors" can interfere with various steps of hormone action, e.g. hormone synthesis, binding to plasma proteins, delivery to target cells, pre-receptor regulation of the ratio of active versus inactive hormones, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function, or export and degradation of glucocorticoids. Several recent studies indicate that such chemicals exist and that some of them can cause multiple toxic effects by interfering with different steps of hormone action. For example, increasing evidence suggests that organotins disturb glucocorticoid action by altering the function of factors that regulate the expression of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11beta-HSD) pre-receptor enzymes, by direct inhibition of 11beta-HSD2-dependent inactivation of glucocorticoids, and by blocking GR activation. These observations emphasize on the complexity of the toxic effects caused by such compounds and on the need of suitable test systems to assess their effects on each relevant step.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Clinical Research, University of Berne, Freiburgstrasse 15, 3010 Berne, Switzerland. alex.odermatt@dkf.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Odermatt
authors.forename: Christel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gumy
authors.forename: Atanas G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Atanasov
authors.forename: Anna A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Dzyakanchuk
mesh_terms: D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009947:Organotin Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009947:Organotin Compounds; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid; D043209:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2