Oleoyl-estrone increases adrenal corticosteroid synthesis gene expression in overweight male rats.
Oleoyl-estrone (OE) induces a marked loss of body fat in rats by maintaining energy expenditure, body protein and blood glucose despite decreasing food intake. OE increases glucocorticoids, but they arrest OE lipid-mobilization. We studied here whether OE induces a direct effect on adrenal glands function as part of this feedback regulation. Dietary overweight male rats were given oral 10nmol/g OE gavages for ten days. A group (PF) of pair-fed to OE rats, and controls received vehicle-only gavages. OE rats lost slightly more body than PF, but had larger adrenal glands. Tissue corticosterone levels, and gene expressions for glucocorticoid-synthesizing enzymes were increased in OE versus controls and PF; thus, we assumed that adrenal growth affected essentially its cortex since OE also lowered the expression of the medullar catecholamine synthesis enzyme genes. Serum corticosterone was higher in PF than in OE and controls, but liver expression of corticosteroid-disposing steroid 5alpha-reductase was 3x larger in OE than PF and controls. Circulating glucocorticoids changed little under OE, in spite of higher adrenal gland and liver content, hinting at modulation of glucocorticoid turnover as instrumental in their purported increased activity. In conclusion, we have observed that OE considerable enhanced the expression of the genes controlling the synthesis of glucocorticoids from cholesterol in the rat and increasing the adrenal glands' corticosterone, size and cellularity, but also the liver disposal of corticosteroids, suggesting that OE increases corticosterone synthesis and degradation (i.e. serum turnover), a process not driven by limited energy availability but directly related to the administration of OE.
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. marromero@ub.edu
María del Mar
Mdel M
Romero
Ruth
R
Vilà
José Antonio
JA
Fernández-López
Montserrat
M
Esteve
Marià
M
Alemany
D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004970:Estrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D009829:Oleic Acids; D004970:Estrone; C108709:oleoyl-estrone; D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1; C531512:Cyp21a1 protein, rat; D013255:Steroid 21-Hydroxylase; D013252:Steroid 11-beta-Hydroxylase; D002786:Cholesterol Side-Chain Cleavage Enzyme; D013741:3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase; C476566:steroid-5alpha-reductase type 1; C476567:steroid-5alpha-reductase type 2; D003345:Corticosterone