help button home button Endocrine Society Endocrinology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nestler, J. E.
Right arrow Articles by Larner, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nestler, J. E.
Right arrow Articles by Larner, J.

Endocrinology, Vol 129, 2951-2956, Copyright © 1991 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Insulin mediators are the signal transduction system responsible for insulin's actions on human placental steroidogenesis

JE Nestler, G Romero, LC Huang, CG Zhang and J Larner
Department of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.

To test the hypothesis that insulin mediators serve as the signal transduction system for insulin's steroidogenic actions in human placental cytotrophoblasts, we examined the effects of two inositolglycan insulin mediators, the insulin pH 2.0 chiro-inositol mediator (IM-pH 2.0) and the insulin pH 1.3 myo-inositol mediator (IM- pH 1.3), on cytotrophoblastic steroidogenesis. When human cytotrophoblasts were incubated in medium supplemented with androstenedione for 24 h, treatment with IM-pH 2.0 or IM-pH 1.3 suppressed aromatase activity by 15% (P less than 0.05) and 49% (P less than 0.05), respectively, compared to insulin, which suppressed aromatase activity by 21% (P less than 0.05). When cytotrophoblasts were incubated in medium supplemented with pregnenolone for 24 h, treatment with IM-pH 2.0 or IM-pH 1.3 stimulated 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) activity by 145% (P less than 0.05) and 168% (P less than 0.05), respectively, compared to insulin, which stimulated 3 beta HSD activity by 63% (P less than 0.05). Suppression of aromatase activity and stimulation of 3 beta HSD activity by inositolglycan mediators were both concentration dependent. Moreover, preincubation of cytotrophoblasts with the antiinositolglycan antibody alpha IGP completely abolished insulin's ability to either inhibit aromatase or stimulate 3 beta HSD activity. These results indicate that insulin mediators mimic insulin's effects on cytotrophoblastic aromatase and 3 beta HSD activities and suggest that inositolglycan mediators are the signal transduction mechanism responsible for insulin's regulation of human placental steroid hormone biosynthesis.




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 1991 by The Endocrine Society