title: Adrenal changes associated with adrenarche.
abstract: The mechanisms causing the rise in adrenal androgen production during the course of adrenarche remain to be defined. However, the increase in steroid release is clearly associated with a series of intra-adrenal changes in the expression of steroidogenic enzymes needed for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) production, as well as an expansion of the adrenal zona reticularis (ZR). We and others have defined the adrenal expression pattern of key steroidogenic enzymes during adrenarche. As adrenarche proceeds, the expanding ZR expresses greater levels of cytochrome b5 (CYB5) and steroid sulfotransferase (SULT2A1) than the adjacent fasciculata. In contrast, the growing ZR is deficient in 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD3B2). The resulting profile of steroidogenic enzymes lends itself to the production of adrenal androgens and appears to track the progression of adrenarche. This article reviews the intra-adrenal changes of the adrenal cortex associated with adrenarche.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical College of Georgia, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hui Xiao
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Gang
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasano
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Rainey
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D050499:Adrenarche / Q000502:physiology*; D000074425:Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C3; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000378:metabolism; D015786:Cytochromes b5 / Q000378:metabolism; D015186:Hominidae; D006801:Humans; D006911:Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenases; D011375:Progesterone Reductase / Q000378:metabolism; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D015238:Sulfotransferases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015786:Cytochromes b5; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D006911:Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenases; C533068:3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II; D011375:Progesterone Reductase; C487341:AKR1C3 protein, human; D000074425:Aldo-Keto Reductase Family 1 Member C3; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase; C501892:CYP17A1 protein, human; D013254:Steroid 17-alpha-Hydroxylase; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D015238:Sulfotransferases; C019998:dehydroepiandrosterone sulfotransferase