This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Groyer, G. Articles by Cadepond, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Groyer, G. Articles by Cadepond, F. Pubmed/NCBI databases Gene GEO Profiles HomoloGene UniGene Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH

Expression and Functional State of the Corticosteroid Receptors and 11ß-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 in Schwann Cells

Unité Mixte de Recherche 788, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale and University Paris-Sud 11, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. F. Cadepond, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Unité 788, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. E-mail: cadepond{at}kb.inserm.fr.

To investigate the role of steroid receptors in mediating the reported effects of steroids on Schwann cell (SC) myelination and growth, we determined mRNA contents and transcriptional activities of the corticosteroid (glucocorticosteroid and mineralocorticosteroid) receptors (GR and MR) and sex steroid (progesterone, androgen, and estrogen and ß) receptors in rat SC cultured under proliferative (in the presence of insulin and forskolin, which induces a high intracellular cAMP content) and quiescent conditions. We found no or very low expression and activity of the sex steroid receptors, as shown by mRNA concentrations determined with real-time PCR and transcriptional activities using transient expression of reporter plasmids in SC. These data and binding studies in SC lines demonstrated that the levels of the sex steroid receptors were the limiting factors. GR was clearly expressed (8000 sequences/ng total RNA) and functional. No significant modification in GR mRNA levels was observed, but an increase in transcriptional efficiency was recorded in proliferating cells compared with quiescent cells. MR was also significantly expressed at the mRNA level (450 sequences/ng total RNA) under the two culture conditions. No MR transcriptional activity was observed in SC, but a low specific binding of aldosterone was detected in SC lines. 11ß-Hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD2), an enzyme that inactivates glucocorticoids, was strongly expressed and active in quiescent SC, although in proliferating cells, HSD2 exhibited a strong decrease in activity and mRNA concentration. These data support a physiological role for HSD2 regulation of glucocorticosteroid concentrations in nerve SC.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Girard, S. Liu, F. Cadepond, D. Adams, C. Lacroix, M. Verleye, J.-M. Gillardin, E.-E. Baulieu, M. Schumacher, and G. Schweizer-Groyer Etifoxine improves peripheral nerve regeneration and functional recovery PNAS, December 23, 2008; 105(51): 20505 - 20510. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Schumacher, R. Guennoun, A. Ghoumari, C. Massaad, F. Robert, M. El-Etr, Y. Akwa, K. Rajkowski, and E.-E. Baulieu Novel Perspectives for Progesterone in Hormone Replacement Therapy, with Special Reference to the Nervous System Endocr. Rev., June 1, 2007; 28(4): 387 - 439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]