| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
ARTICLES |
and ß in the Baboon Fetal Adrenal Gland1
Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences, and Physiology (E.D.A., J.S.B.), Center for Studies in Reproduction, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201; and the Department of Physiological Sciences (W.A.D., M.G.L., G.J.P.), Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23501
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Eugene D. Albrecht, Ph.D., Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Bressler Research Laboratories 11–019, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. E-mail: ealbrech{at}umaryland.edu
We have previously shown that estrogen regulates the development
and function of the fetal and definitive/transitional zones of the
primate fetal adrenal gland. Thus, during baboon pregnancy estrogen
acts directly on the fetal zone to suppress ACTH-stimulated
dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) formation, potentially to modulate
C19-steroid production and consequently placental estrogen
synthesis. It is proposed that this action of estrogen is mediated by
the estrogen receptor. Therefore, in the present study a developmental
approach was used to determine whether the messenger RNA (mRNA) and
protein for the estrogen receptor were expressed in the fetal and
definitive/transitional zones of the baboon fetal adrenal gland at mid
(day 100) and late (day 170) gestation (term = 184 days). Estrogen
receptor 
mRNA levels, determined by competitive RT-PCR, were
approximately 7-fold greater (P < 0.02) in the
fetal adrenal of late (187.8 ± 40.3 attomoles/µg RNA) compared
with mid (27.4 ± 5.4 attomoles/µg RNA) gestation. Moreover,
estrogen receptor mRNA expression, determined by quantitative
in situ hybridization, was approximately 2.5-fold
greater (P < 0.05) in the definitive/transitional
zones (21.6 ± 0.5 silver grains/0.025 mm2) than in
the fetal zone (8.3 ± 1.5 grains/0.025 mm2) late in
gestation. The mRNA for the ß-isoform of the estrogen receptor was
also expressed in the baboon fetal adrenal cortex. There was a gradient
of immunocytochemical staining for the estrogen receptor and ß
proteins, with extensive immunoreactivity for both isoforms in the
definitive zone and lower staining in the transitional zone and the
fetal zone. In summary, the results of the present study show that
estrogen receptor and ß were expressed in the fetal and
definitive/transitional zones of the baboon fetal adrenal cortex at mid
and late gestation. The presence of the estrogen receptor provides a
mechanism for mediating the action of estrogen in modulating
ACTH-dependent and cortical zone-specific development and function of
the primate fetal adrenal gland.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  G. J. Pepe, T. J. Lynch, W. A. Davies, and E. D. Albrecht Regulation of Baboon Fetal Pituitary Prolactin Expression by Estrogen Biol Reprod, June 1, 2009; 80(6): 1189 - 1195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Dumitrescu, G. W Aberdeen, G. J Pepe, and E. D Albrecht Developmental expression of cell cycle regulators in the baboon fetal adrenal gland J. Endocrinol., January 1, 2007; 192(1): 237 - 247. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D Montanaro, M Maggiolini, A G Recchia, R Sirianni, S Aquila, L Barzon, F Fallo, S Ando, and V Pezzi Antiestrogens upregulate estrogen receptor {beta} expression and inhibit adrenocortical H295R cell proliferation J. Mol. Endocrinol., October 1, 2005; 35(2): 245 - 256. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. D. Albrecht, G. W. Aberdeen, and G. J. Pepe Estrogen Elicits Cortical Zone-Specific Effects on Development of the Primate Fetal Adrenal Gland Endocrinology, April 1, 2005; 146(4): 1737 - 1744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. D. Albrecht, R. B. Billiar, G. W. Aberdeen, J. S. Babischkin, and G. J. Pepe Expression of Estrogen Receptors {alpha} and {beta} in the Fetal Baboon Testisand Epididymis Biol Reprod, April 1, 2004; 70(4): 1106 - 1113. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 E. D. Albrecht, G. W. Aberdeen, A. L. Niklaus, J. S. Babischkin, D. L. Suresch, and G. J. Pepe Acute Temporal Regulation of Vascular Endothelial Growth/Permeability Factor Expression and Endothelial Morphology in the Baboon Endometrium by Ovarian Steroids J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., June 1, 2003; 88(6): 2844 - 2852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. L. Niklaus, G. W. Aberdeen, J. S. Babischkin, G. J. Pepe, and E. D. Albrecht Effect of Estrogen on Vascular Endothelial Growth/Permeability Factor Expression by Glandular Epithelial and Stromal Cells in the Baboon Endometrium Biol Reprod, June 1, 2003; 68(6): 1997 - 2004. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Chamoux, A. Narcy, J.-G. Lehoux, and N. Gallo-Payet Fibronectin, Laminin, and Collagen IV as Modulators of Cell Behavior during Adrenal Gland Development in the Human Fetus J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 2002; 87(4): 1819 - 1828. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. J. Pepe, R. B. Billiar, M. G. Leavitt, N. C. Zachos, J. A. Gustafsson, and E. D. Albrecht Expression of Estrogen Receptors {alpha} and {beta} in the Baboon Fetal Ovary Biol Reprod, April 1, 2002; 66(4): 1054 - 1060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. R.G. Challis, S. G. Matthews, W. Gibb, and S. J. Lye Endocrine and Paracrine Regulation of Birth at Term and Preterm Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2000; 21(5): 514 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Zhang, J. S. Thomsen, L. Johansson, J.-A. Gustafsson, and E. Treuter DAX-1 Functions as an LXXLL-containing Corepressor for Activated Estrogen Receptors J. Biol. Chem., December 15, 2000; 275(51): 39855 - 39859. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| 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 |
