title: Gonadectomy-related adrenocortical tumors in ferrets demonstrate increased expression of androgen and estrogen synthesizing enzymes together with high inhibin expression.
abstract: The 2 objectives of this study were to (1) measure by quantitative polymerase chain reaction the expression of genes involved in steroid and inhibin synthesis in adrenocortical tumors of gonadectomized ferrets and (2) localize by immunohistochemistry several proteins that are key to adrenal steroidogenesis. Relative to the control adrenals, expression of the messenger RNAs encoding StAR (steroidogenic acute regulatory protein; P = 0.039), CYP11A (P = 0.019), CYP21 (P = 0.01), and 3β-HSD (P = 0.004), all involved in the synthesis of mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, were decreased in the adrenocortical tumors. In contrast, expression of cytochrome B5 (CytB5; P = 0.0001) and aromatase (P = 0.003), involved in androgen and estrogen synthesis, and both inhibin α-subunit (P = 0.002) and βB-subunit (P = 0.001) were upregulated. In tumors, immunostaining of CYP21 was low, whereas staining of Cyp17 and CytB5, necessary for androgen synthesis, was present. It is concluded that ferret adrenocortical tumors express genes for androgen production. In addition, the expression of aromatase and inhibin suggests an even more gonadal differentiation, which is reminiscent to the fact that both gonads and adrenals are derived from a common urogenital primordial cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E E M
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: ten Asbroek
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sleiderink
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Conley
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mol
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: N.J.Schoemaker@uu.nl.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Schoemaker
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D000728:Androgens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007265:Inhibins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D004967:Estrogens; D000735:Androstenedione; D007265:Inhibins
keywords: Adrenocortical tumor; Aromatase; Ferret; Inhibin