Endocrinology Vol. 139, No. 12 4765-4771
Copyright © 1998 by The Endocrine Society
Calcium Ion as a Second Messenger for o-Nitrophenylsulfenyl-Adrenocorticotropin (NPS-ACTH) and ACTH in Bovine Adrenal Steroidogenesis1
Takeshi Yamazaki,
Tetsuya Kimoto,
Kaori Higuchi,
Yoshihiro Ohta2,
Suguru Kawato and
Shiro Kominami
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences (T.Y., K.H., S.K.),
Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739, Japan; Department of
Biophysics and Life Sciences (T.K., Y.O., S.K.), Graduate School of
Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo at Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153,
Japan
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Takeshi Yamazaki or Shiro Kominami, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima 739, Japan. E-mail:
takey{at}ipc.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
 |
Abstract
|
|---|
o-Nitrophenyl sulfenyl-modified ACTH (NPS-ACTH)
stimulated steroidogenesis acutely in bovine fasciculata-reticularis
cells without increase in cellular cAMP synthesis. Application of
NPS-ACTH to the cultured cells induced Ca2+ signals in
individual cells as detected by video-enhanced microscopic fluorescence
measurements. The percentage of Ca2+ signaling cells
corresponded well with the increase of steroidogenesis induced by
NPS-ACTH below 1 nM. Treatment of the cells with
nicardipine, a Ca2+ channel blocker, suppressed the
Ca2+ signals except for the transient increase just after
the addition of NPS-ACTH and also blocked completely the stimulative
effect on the steroidogenesis of NPS-ACTH below 1 nM. At a
dosage of NPS-ACTH higher than 10 nM, the stimulative
effect of steroidogenesis was partly suppressed by nicardipine and also
by AA-861, a lipoxygenase inhibitor. The action of NPS-ACTH might be
mediated by both Ca2+ and lipoxygenase metabolite(s) of
arachidonic acid as dual second messengers. The effect of ACTH in
pM range on the steroidogenesis was suppressed completely
by the treatment with nicardipine and AA-861 at the same time,
indicating that the action was mediated by both Ca2+ and
the lipoxygenase metabolite(s) but not by cAMP. cAMP plays a
significant role as a second messenger for ACTH action only at ACTH
concentrations greater than 10 pM.
 |
Introduction
|
|---|
GLUCOCORTICOID synthesis in adrenal glands
is mainly regulated by ACTH. ACTH acutely stimulates intracellular
transport of cholesterol to mitochondrial inner membrane within a few
minutes, which is the rate-determining step in overall steroidogenesis
of the cells (1, 2). cAMP is one of the second messengers for the
action of ACTH because cAMP synthesis in the adrenal cells was
stimulated by pharmacological concentrations of ACTH (>100
pM) and the application of cAMP analogs activates adrenal
steroidogenesis (3). ACTH modified at a tryptophan residue with
o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl chloride, NPS-ACTH, stimulates rat,
mouse, and bovine adrenal steroidogenesis without detectable increase
of cellular cAMP level, although the dose required for the maximal
stimulation was several hundred-times higher than that for ACTH (3, 4).
It has been speculated, however, that cAMP is an essential mediator of
NPS-ACTH action in Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cell line because
steroidogenic activity in A-kinase- or adenylate cyclase-
deficient mutants of the Y-1 cell lines was very weak even on
stimulation by the NPS-ACTH (5). In contrast to the normal adrenal
cells, cellular cAMP synthesis in the Y-1 cells was significantly
stimulated by the application of NPS-ACTH (5). The second messenger
system of NPS-ACTH in normal adrenal cells might be different from Y-1
cells and requires more detailed investigation.
Calcium ion, Ca2+, has been suggested to be a second
messenger for ACTH action in adrenal fasciculata-reticularis cells
because steroidogenesis of the cultured cells was stimulated by
addition of Ca2+ in the medium both in the presence and
absence of ACTH (6). Extracellular Ca2+ is required for
binding of ACTH to its receptor and also for maximum stimulation of
steroidogenesis (7). At low ACTH concentrations, Ca2+
influx via T-type Ca2+ channels might participate in the
stimulation of steroidogenesis in bovine fasciculata cells (8, 9).
Increase of cellular Ca2+, however, is barely detectable in
ACTH-stimulated cells with conventional methods (10, 11). Recently, we
have observed Ca2+ signals induced by 0.1100
pM ACTH in individual cultured bovine adrenal fasciculata
cells using a microscopic fluorescence measurement technique (12). This
observation is strong evidence for a role for Ca2+ as a
second messenger of ACTH action.
Physiological second messenger(s) for ACTH action had been discussed
for a long time. Application in the pM range of ACTH
stimulated steroidogenesis in fasciculata-reticularis cells without
significant increase in cellular cAMP synthesis (3, 13, 14). We have
reported that 15-lipoxygenase metabolite(s) of arachidonic acid is a
second messenger for ACTH at the physiological condition because
pM concentrations of ACTH-stimulated bovine adrenal
15-lipoxygenase activity, which corresponded well with the stimulation
of the steroidogenesis and addition of 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic
acid (15-HPETE), a 15-lipoxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid,
stimulated steroidogenic activity of the cells (14). The action of ACTH
in bovine fasciculata-reticularis cells may be mediated by at least
three messengers: cAMP, Ca2+, and the lipoxygenase
metabolite(s). On the other hand, the second messenger system of
NPS-ACTH is expected to be simpler because cAMP likely does not have a
significant role in the action of the modified peptide.
In this report, we clarified the roles of Ca2+ and
lipoxygenase metabolite(s) as second messengers for the acute action of
NPS-ACTH on the steroidogenesis in cultured bovine adrenal
fasciculata-reticularis cells. The relative importance of second
messengers, i.e. cAMP, Ca2+ and lipoxygenase
metabolite(s), in the acute stimulation by physiological concentrations
of ACTH was also characterized.
 |
Materials and Methods
|
|---|
Preparation of NPS-ACTH
ACTH (124, Cortrosyn, Daiichi Seiyaku, Tokyo, Japan) was
modified by o-nitrophenylsulfenyl chloride at tryptophan-9
in the acidic condition, as reported previously (15). The synthesized
NPS-ACTH was purified by reverse phase HPLC on a LiChrospher RP-18
column (5 µm, 250 x 4 mm, Merck), with a linear gradient of 20
min from 100% of solution A; 10% CH3CN, 0.3%
CF3COOH, 89.7% H2O, to 69% dilution by
solution B; 89% CH3CN, 2% CF3COOH, 9%
H2O, at the flow rate, 1 ml/min. The NPS-ACTH and ACTH were
eluted at 20 and 18 min after the injection, respectively, which were
monitored by UV absorption at 280 nm. The eluted NPS-ACTH was
lyophilized and dissolved in sterile water. The purity of the NPS-ACTH
was confirmed by HPLC analysis and measurement of the absorption
spectrum. NPS-ACTH concentration was estimated using an absorption
coefficient of 4.1 mM-1 at 365 nm (16).
Cell culture, steroidogenic activity, and cAMP analysis
Fresh adrenal glands of Holstein-Friesian cows were obtained
from a local slaughterhouse, and fasciculata-reticularis cells were
isolated as described (17). Contamination of glomerulosa cells was less
than 2% for each preparation because no aldosterone synthesis was
detected in culture medium by specific RIA after incubation of the
cells without addition of any inhibitors (18). Cells grown to
confluence on a 24-well culture plate (Sumitomo Bakelite, Tokyo, Japan)
were incubated with a fresh medium containing the pregnenolone
metabolism inhibitors, 2 µM trilostane and 20
µM SU-10603 (kindly supplied by C. R. Jefcoate), and
steroidogenic stimulators, i.e. ACTH, NPS-ACTH, or dibutyryl
cAMP ((Bu)2cAMP, Boehringer Mannheim,
Mannheim, Germany). Various inhibitors, i.e. 40
µM nicardipine (Sigma Chemical Co., St.
Louis, MO), and 50 µM AA-861 (Wako, Osaka, Japan)
were added 15 min before beginning the incubation for metabolism of
cholesterol to pregnenolone. After 2 h incubation of the cells
under 5% CO2 at 38.5 C, accumulated pregnenolone in the
medium was extracted with hexane and measured by specific RIA, as
described previously (19). Cell morphology did not change during the
2 h incubation with the inhibitors.
For measurement of cAMP accumulation, the cells were incubated for
2 h with fresh medium containing 0.2 mM
3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (Sigma Chemical Co.). The cAMP
accumulated in the cells was extracted with ethanol and analyzed with a
Biotrak cAMP EIA system (Amersham International, Amersham,
UK) as described (14).
Microscopic imaging of Ca2+ fluorescence and its
analysis
For Ca2+ imaging, cells were grown in glass-bottom
dishes coated with collagen. The cells were loaded for 1 min at 37 C
with 5 µM Fura-2/AM (Dojin, Kumamoto, Japan) in the
presence of 0.01% Triton X-100 in 1 ml of physiological salt solution
(PSS) containing 120 mM NaCl, 4 mM KCl, 1.25
mM CaCl2, 1 mM NaHPO4,
0.5 mM MgSO4, 5 mM
NaHCO3, 0.1% BSA, 0.1% glucose, and 10 mM
HEPES (pH 7.4). After three washes with PSS, the cells were
preincubated for 20 min with or without 40 µM nicardipine
at 37 C. The glass-bottom dish was mounted on a video-enhanced
fluorescence microscope as previously described (12). The cells were
excited by 340 and 380 nm in the presence of various concentrations of
NPS-ACTH, and fluorescence intensity was recorded on video tape. After
digitizing the intensity of the recorded fluorescence,
Ca2+ concentrations in individual cells
were estimated from image analysis of fluorescence intensity ratio
between excitation at 340 nm and 380 nm.
Other methods
Cellular protein content was determined with a BCA protein assay
kit (Pierce, Rockford, IL). Data were statistically
analyzed by Students t test, using the Microsoft Corp. Excel computer program.
 |
Results
|
|---|
Effects of NPS-ACTH on the steroidogenesis and cAMP
synthesis
Steroidogenic activity of cultured bovine adrenal
fasciculata-reticularis cells can be estimated from the accumulation of
pregnenolone in the presence of trilostane and SU-10603, which are
blockers of further metabolism by 3ß-hydroxy-steroid
dehydrogenase/
5-
4-isomerase and
cytochrome P45017
, lyase, respectively, because the
pregnenolone formation is the rate-determining step in overall
steroidogenesis (1, 2, 14). The acute stimulation of steroidogenesis
was estimated from the accumulation of pregnenolone during a 2-h
incubation after the application of NPS-ACTH or ACTH. The amounts of
accumulated pregnenolone increased with the dose of NPS-ACTH as well as
ACTH, and leveled off at a similar level (Fig. 1a
). The concentration required for
half-maximum stimulation (EC50) is about 1 nM
for NPS-ACTH, which is a hundred times higher than that for ACTH (10
pM).

View larger version (22K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 1. Dose dependences of the activation of
steroidogenesis and cAMP synthesis on the concentrations of NPS-ACTH
and ACTH in bovine fasciculata-reticularis cells. The cultured cells
were incubated for 2 h with various concentrations of NPS-ACTH
(closed circles) or ACTH (open circles).
Accumulated pregnenolone (a) and cAMP (b) were extracted and measured
by RIA and enzyme immune assay, respectively, as described in
Materials and Methods. Values are means of three
separate experiments, performed in duplicate. Error bars
indicate SD.
|
|
Stimulation of cellular cAMP synthesis by ACTH in the adrenal cells was
estimated from the accumulation of cAMP during the 2-h incubation in
the presence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, a phosphodiesterase
inhibitor. The ACTH concentration required for the stimulation of cAMP
synthesis was more than 10 times higher than that for steroidogenesis
as previously reported (3, 13, 14) (Fig. 1b
). On the other hand,
application of NPS-ACTH affected the cellular cAMP synthesis only
slightly. No stimulation of cAMP synthesis was observed on addition of
1 nM NPS-ACTH, upon which steroidogenesis was stimulated to
half maximal levels (Fig. 1b
). Even on maximal stimulation of the
steroidogenesis by 100 nM NPS-ACTH, cAMP accumulation was
increased to only 5% of that in the presence of 1 nM ACTH.
Similar dose-responses on cAMP accumulation and steroidogenesis induced
by NPS-ACTH have been reported in rat and mouse adrenal cultured cells
(3). The results indicate that increase of cellular cAMP is not
essential for the stimulation of steroidogenesis by NPS-ACTH.
NPS-ACTH induced Ca2+ signaling
The effect of NPS-ACTH on the Ca2+ concentration in
individual cells was analyzed by video enhanced microscopic
fluorescence imaging. Application of NPS-ACTH induced typically three
types of Ca2+ signals in individual cells, i.e.
(a) series of Ca2+ spikes with a step-like Ca2+
elevation; (b) a step-like elevation of Ca2+ concentration;
(c) series of Ca2+ spikes without Ca2+
elevation (Fig. 2
, ac, respectively).
When the Ca2+ signals of 100200 cells induced by 1
nM NPS-ACTH were analyzed in each experiment, signal types
in the cells were found to constitute 63 ± 5%, 28 ± 4%,
and 9 ± 2% of the relative population for (a), (b), and (c),
respectively (mean of four separate experiments). The frequency of
Ca2+ spikes was variable in individual cells (Fig. 2
, a and
c), but it did not show apparent correlation with NPS-ACTH
concentration. The increase of the dosage of NPS-ACTH increased total
population of Ca2+ signaling cells without affecting the
signal height in individual cells. Similar tendency of Ca2+
signals was observed in the same cell system stimulated by 0.1100
pM ACTH whose frequency and intensity were also independent
on the dosage of ACTH (12). The dose-dependence of percentage of total
number of Ca2+ signaling cells, (a) + (b) + (c), per number
of monitored cells on NPS-ACTH concentration corresponded well to the
curve for the stimulation of steroidogenesis up to 1 nM
NPS-ACTH (Fig. 3
). In the presence of 10
nM of NPS-ACTH, 95 ± 4% of cells show
Ca2+ signals, but only 13 ± 1% in the absence of
NPS-ACTH (mean of four separate experiments). It must be noted that the
percentage of total Ca2+ signaling cells was almost
saturated around 1 nM NPS-ACTH, while steroidogenesis was
increased further with the increase of the peptide to 100
nM (Fig. 3
). The action of NPS-ACTH above 1 nM
might be mediated by other second messenger(s) beside
Ca2+.

View larger version (27K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 2. NPS-ACTH induced Ca2+ signals in the
individual cells. Ca2+ contents in individual bovine
fasciculata-reticularis cells were measured by a video enhanced
microscopic fluorescence technique as described in Materials and
Methods. The vertical scale shows the ratio of fluorescence
intensities of Fura-2 excited at 340 and 380 nm. The presence of 1
nM NPS-ACTH, indicated by lines in the figures, induced
three types of Ca2+ signals in individual cells as
described in the text (ac). d, A typical Ca2+ signal in
the cells pretreated with 40 µM nicardipine 20 min before
the application of 1 nM NPS-ACTH.
|
|
Suppression of the action of NPS-ACTH and ACTH by Ca2+
channel blocker
When the cells were pretreated with nicardipine, a potent
inhibitor of T- and L-type Ca2+ channels, the stimulative
action of 0.1 and 1 nM NPS-ACTH on the steroidogenesis was
completely suppressed (Fig. 4a
),
indicating the voltage-dependent Ca2+ influx might be
essential for stimulative action of NPS-ACTH at these concentrations.
The concentration of nicardipine required for the complete suppression
of the stimulative effect of 1 nM NPS-ACTH was 40
µM in the culture medium containing 10% FCS. In the
serum-free medium, the stimulation of steroidogenic activity was
suppressed by 1 µM of nicardipine. The steroidogenic
activity of the cells in the serum-free medium, however, was
fluctuating in each experiment and a mean of the activities was about a
half of that in the serum containing medium. Therefore, we used serum
containing medium and 40 µM nicardipine to obtain clear
results in this experiment. Because nicardipine affected neither
nonstimulated nor 0.1 mM (Bu)2cAMP-stimulated
steroidogenesis (data not shown), the voltage dependent
Ca2+ influx might not be essential for the basal
steroidogenesis and cAMP-induced stimulation. The NPS-ACTH-induced
Ca2+ signals were also affected by the inhibitor. In the
cells pretreated with nicardipine, the Ca2+ elevation of
NPS-ACTH-induced (a) type Ca2+ signals disappeared
within a few minutes although the inhibitor has only a slight effect on
the quick rise in Ca2+ (Fig. 2d
). Most of the
Ca2+ signaling cells (90 ± 5%, mean of three
separate experiments) showed Ca2+ increase only transiently
upon the addition of 1 nM NPS-ACTH to the nicardipine
pretreated cells. It can be concluded that the voltage-dependent
Ca2+ channels are responsible for the slow phase (>3 min)
of Ca2+ signaling which is essential for the stimulatory
action of NPS-ACTH in the steroidogenesis. When the cells were
stimulated by 10 and 100 nM NPS-ACTH, nicardipine did not
suppress the stimulative effect on steroidogenesis completely (Fig. 4a
). The results indicate again that a second messenger(s) beside
Ca2+ affects the steroidogenesis in the presence of
NPS-ACTH above 10 nM.

View larger version (19K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 4. Effects of nicardipine on NPS-ACTH and
ACTH-stimulated cellular steroidogenesis. Incubation of the cells for
2 h with various concentrations of NPS-ACTH (a) or ACTH (b) and
the determination of pregnenolone production were carried out as
described in Materials and Methods. Some cells were
pretreated with 40 µM of nicardipine 15 min before the
beginning of the 2 h incubation (closed circles).
Values are means of three separate experiments, performed in duplicate.
Error bars indicate SD. *, Significantly
different from activity of nonstimulated cells (P
< 0.01).
|
|
ACTH-induced stimulation of steroidogenesis was also inhibited by the
nicardipine pretreatment (Fig. 4b
). The inhibitor completely suppressed
the stimulation in steroidogenesis induced by 1 and 10 pM
of ACTH, indicating that the Ca2+ influx is essential for
the action of ACTH at these concentrations. In the presence of
concentrations of ACTH higher than 100 pM, the inhibitory
action of nicardipine on the stimulated steroidogenesis was not
complete.
Suppression of the action of NPS-ACTH and ACTH by lipoxygenase
inhibitor
ACTH action on the steroidogenesis in bovine
fasciculata-reticularis cells is mediated by 15-lipoxygenase
metabolite(s) of arachidonic acid as a second messenger (14). The role
of the metabolite(s) in the action of NPS-ACTH could be elucidated by
treatment of the cells with AA-861, a lipoxygenase inhibitor. Addition
of AA-861 had no effect on the steroidogenesis stimulated by 0.1 and 1
nM of NPS-ACTH but suppressed to half the stimulative
effects by 10 and 100 nM NPS-ACTH (Fig. 5a
). The role of 15-lipoxygenase pathway
on the stimulation of steroidogenesis is significant only at higher
NPS-ACTH concentrations, at which the percentage of total number of
Ca2+ signaling cells has already leveled off (Fig. 3
). The
action of NPS-ACTH at 10 and 100 nM might be mediated by
lipoxygenase metabolite(s) together with Ca2+. By contrast,
the stimulative effect of ACTH on steroidogenesis was suppressed by
AA-861 at any ACTH concentration (Fig. 5b
). Stimulation by 1
pM ACTH was completely suppressed by the inhibitor. These
results were consistent with a previous observation; 15-lipoxygenase
activity was stimulated by pM concentrations of ACTH
(14).

View larger version (18K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Figure 5. Effects of AA-861 on NPS-ACTH and ACTH stimulated
cellular steroidogenesis. Incubation of the cells for 2 h with
various concentrations of NPS-ACTH (a) or ACTH (b), and the
determination of pregnenolone production were carried out as described
in Materials and Methods. Some cells were pretreated
with 50 µM of AA-861 15 min before the beginning of the
2 h incubation (filled columns). Values are means
of three separate experiments, performed in duplicate. Error
bars indicate SD. *, Significantly different from
activity without AA-861 (P < 0.05).
|
|
The inhibitory effect of nicardipine or AA-861 was not complete when
the steroidogenesis was stimulated by high concentrations of NPS-ACTH
or ACTH (Figs. 4
and 5
). The maximally stimulated steroidogenesis by
100 nM NPS-ACTH was completely suppressed by the coaddition
of the inhibitors (Table 1
). Because
AA-861 did not affect 0.1 mM
(Bu)2cAMP-stimulated steroidogenesis (14) as like as
nicardipine, the data indicate that the second messengers for 100
nM NPS-ACTH were Ca2+ and lipoxygenase
metabolite(s) but not cAMP. In the case of ACTH-stimulated
steroidogenesis, the suppression induced by the coaddition of the
inhibitors was not complete upon the addition of 1 nM ACTH.
Because the ACTH at concentrations higher than 0.1 nM
stimulated cellular cAMP synthesis significantly (Fig. 1b
), the action
of 1 nM of ACTH might be mediated by cAMP beside
Ca2+ and lipoxygenase metabolite(s).
View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
|
Table 1. Effects of nicardipine and AA-861 on the
steroidogenesis of bovine fasciculata-reticularis cells stimulated by
NPS-ACTH or ACTH
|
|
 |
Discussion
|
|---|
Application of NPS-ACTH hardly stimulated cellular cAMP synthesis
in bovine fasciculata-reticularis cells (Fig. 1b
). Stimulation of
steroidogenesis by lower concentrations (<1 nM) of
NPS-ACTH might be mediated by increase of cellular Ca2+ as
a sole, or major, second messenger, because dose responses of the
percentage of total number of Ca2+ signaling cells and the
stimulation of steroidogenesis induced by NPS-ACTH were quite similar
(Fig. 3
). Under the above conditions, nicardipine completely blocked
the stimulative action of NPS-ACTH on the steroidogenesis (Fig. 4a
).
Upon the addition of higher doses (>10 nM) of NPS-ACTH,
the metabolite(s) of lipoxygenase activity might be important in
stimulation of the steroidogenesis together with Ca2+,
because the stimulation was partly suppressed by AA-861 (Fig. 5a
).
Although a slight increase of cAMP synthesis was observed upon the
addition of 100 nM NPS-ACTH (Fig. 1b
), the stimulation of
steroidogenesis was completely suppressed by pretreatment of
nicardipine and AA-861 at the same time (Table 1
). Cellular cAMP can be
concluded not to be essential in the acute action of NPS-ACTH at any
concentration.
ACTH-induced acute stimulation of steroidogenesis is mediated by at
least three second messengers, cAMP, Ca2+, and lipoxygenase
metabolite(s), in bovine fasciculata-reticularis cells. Application in
the pM range of ACTH stimulated both Ca2+
signals and 15-lipoxygenase activity, while increase of total cellular
cAMP was too small to be detected by conventional methods (12, 13, 14).
Essential roles of Ca2+ and the lipoxygenase metabolite(s)
in the stimulative effect of ACTH on the steroidogenesis were confirmed
by the experiments using nicardipine and AA-861, both of which
inhibited the ACTH-induced stimulation without affecting basal
steroidogenesis. It must be noted that 0.1 mM
(Bu)2cAMP-stimulated steroidogenesis was not affected by
either of the inhibitors, indicating that the stimulative action of
ACTH at pM concentrations is not attributable to the
increase in cellular cAMP. Although no increase of cellular cAMP was
observed at 1 pM ACTH-stimulated condition, basal A-kinase
activity might be essential for steroidogenesis, which has been
indicated in A-kinase deficient adrenal tumor cells and in normal
adrenal cells where an A-kinase inhibitor, H-89, suppressed the basal
A-kinase activity (14, 20, 21). cAMP might be a second messenger in the
action of ACTH at concentrations above 10 pM, at which a
slight increase of cellular cAMP was observed (Fig. 1b
). Upon the
addition of pharmacological concentrations of ACTH (>100
pM), cellular cAMP synthesis was significantly increased,
where the inhibitory effects of nicardipine and AA-861 on the
steroidogenesis were incomplete (Table 1
). cAMP might be a significant
second messenger under these conditions, although Ca2+ and
lipoxygenase metabolite(s) still have roles in the action. It has been
reported for the chronic effect of ACTH in the same cell system that
cAMP does not function as a sole intracellular mediator of induction of
steroidogenic enzymes, even upon the application of very high
concentrations of ACTH, 1 µM (22).
In the bovine fasciculata cells, voltage-dependent Ca2+
channels have been predicted to function in stimulation of
steroidogenesis (13). Enyeart et al. (9) reported that
T-type rather than L-type Ca2+ channels are required for
ACTH-induced stimulation of steroidogenesis. They found with patch
clamp experiments that T-type Ca2+ channels operate in ACTH
action with an EC50 of 10.4 pM (8). The
concentration of the EC50 is consistent with our previous
observation that showed the percentage of Ca2+ signaling
cells was increased by 0.1100 pM of ACTH (12).
Ca2+ is one of the major second messengers in angiotensin
II or potassium-induced stimulation of aldosterone synthesis in adrenal
glomerulosa cells (23). The T- and L-type Ca2+ channels in
the bovine glomerulosa cells were also completely blocked by
nicardipine, which abolished potassium-induced stimulation of
aldosterone synthesis (24). The frequency of series of Ca2+
spikes in the glomerulosa cells, however, was significantly increased
by the increase in concentration of angiotensin II, although that in
fasciculata-reticularis cells was not correlated with the concentration
of NPS-ACTH or ACTH (25). The Ca2+ signaling mechanism in
fasciculata-reticularis cells, which was stimulated by ACTH or NPS-ACTH
might not be the same as in the glomerulosa cells induced by
angiotensin II and potassium.
The Ca2+ and 15-lipoxygenase metabolite(s) are second
messenger for ACTH and NPS-ACTH induced stimulation in the bovine
adrenal cells. Interaction of those two second messenger systems has
been reported in various cells. Cellular Ca2+ signals were
reported to activate phospholipase A2, which stimulated
release of arachidonic acid in adrenal cells, and also to activate
cytosolic 15-lipoxygenase activity in human polymorphonuclear leukocyte
(26, 27). Addition of lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid has
been reported to stimulate Ca2+ releases from mitochondria
that were isolated from the bovine zonae fasciculata-reticularis and
also from rat liver cells (28, 29). In the bovine
fasciculata-reticularis cells, there is a possibility of cross-talk
between Ca2+ signals and the lipoxygenase pathway in the
ACTH-induced stimulation because the stimulation was inhibited by
nicardipine and AA-861 at the same ACTH concentrations, indicating the
Ca2+ and 15-lipoxygenase metabolite(s) function at the same
time (Figs. 4b
and 5b
). On the other hand, NPS-ACTH-stimulated
steroidogenesis was inhibited by nicardipine and AA-861 at different
NPS-ACTH concentrations (Figs. 4a
and 5a
). These data might indicate
Ca2+ and 15-lipoxygenase metabolite(s) stimulate
steroidogenesis independently. The interaction between Ca2+
signals and the lipoxygenase pathway in the bovine
fasciculata-reticularis steroidogenesis might not be simple and remain
to be clarify.
Only one class of ACTH-receptor has been identified in adrenal
fasciculata-reticularis cells (30, 31). NPS-ACTH might bind to the ACTH
receptor because ACTH-induced cAMP synthesis was antagonized by
NPS-ACTH (32, 33). Truncated ACTH, ACTH1124, antagonized
ACTH-induced cAMP synthesis in mouse ACTH receptor expressed in HeLa
cells (34). The IC50 of the truncated ACTH was about 1
nM, similar to EC50 of NPS-ACTH for the
stimulation of the steroidogenesis in this study. The
ACTH1124 could stimulate steroidogenic activity in rat
adrenal cells (35). Because the NPS-ACTH is modified at
Trp9 of ACTH124, the nitrophenyl sulfenyl
residue might prevent binding of the amino-terminal region of ACTH to
the specific site in the ACTH receptor. The remaining region of
ACTH1124 might stimulate steroidogenesis without increase
of cAMP.
For investigation of the mechanism for Ca2+-mediated
stimulation of steroidogenesis in the fasciculata-reticularis cells,
ACTH-induced stimulation might not be suitable because the stimulative
action of ACTH is mediated by not only Ca2+ but also other
second messengers at any ACTH concentration. On the other hand,
Ca2+ is a solo, or major, second messenger for the action
of 1 nM NPS-ACTH at which steroidogenesis was stimulated to
a half maximum level. The NPS-ACTH-induced Ca2+ signals
were indistinguishable from those induced by ACTH in terms of both
signal shape and intensity. Therefore, NPS-ACTH-stimulated cultured
cells might be a suitable experimental system for investigating the
mechanism of stimulation of steroidogenesis by Ca2+
signals. Further experiments on Ca2+-induced cellular
responses are underway in our laboratory.
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
We thank Professor C. R. Jefcoate, University of Wisconsin,
for supplying pregnenolone metabolism blockers and antipregnenolone
serum.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
1 This work was supported, in part, by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific
Research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan
(09680623, Priority Area 09235223). 
2 Present address: Department of Biotechnology and Life Science,
Faculty of Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology,
Koganei, Tokyo 184, Japan. 
Received April 8, 1998.
 |
References
|
|---|
-
Orme-Johnson NR 1990 Distinctive properties of
adrenal cortex mitochondria. Biochim Biophys Acta 1020:213231[Medline]
-
Jefcoate CR, McNamara BC, Artemenko I, Yamazaki T 1992 Regulation of cholesterol movement to mitochondrial cytochrome
P450scc in steroid hormone synthesis. J Steroid Biochem Mol
Biol 43:751767[CrossRef]
-
Schimmer BP 1980 Cyclic nucleotides in hormonal
regulation of adrenocortical function. Adv Cyclic Nucleotide Res 13:181214[Medline]
-
Rubin RP, Laychock SG, End DW 1977 On the role of
cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in steroid production by bovine cortical
cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 496:329338[Medline]
-
Rae PA, Zinman HZ, Ramachandran J, Schimmer BP 1980 Responses of Y1 adrenocortical tumor cells to
o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl ACTH. Mol Cell Endocrinol 17:171179[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Yanagibashi K 1979 Calcium ion as "second
messenger" in corticoidogenic action of ACTH. Endocrinol Jpn 26:227232[Medline]
-
Cheitlin R, Buckley DI, Ramachandran J 1985 The
role of extracellular calcium in corticotropin-stimulated
steroidogenesis. J Biol Chem 260:53235327[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Mlinar B, Biagi BA, Enyeart JJ 1993 A novel
K+ current inhibited by adrenocorticotropic hormone and
angiotensin II in adrenal cortical cells. J Biol Chem 268:86408644[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Enyeart JJ, Mlinar B, Enyeart JA 1993 T-type
Ca2+ channels are required for
adrenocorticotropin-stimulated cortisol production by bovine adrenal
zona fasciculata cells. Mol Endocrinol 7:10311040[Abstract]
-
Braley LM, Menachery AI, Brown EM, Williams GH 1986 Comparative effect of angiotensin II, potassium, adrenocorticotropin,
and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate on cytosolic calcium in rat
adrenal cells. Endocrinology 119:10101029[Abstract]
-
Iida S, Widmaier EP, Hall PF 1986 The
phosphatidylinositide-Ca2+ hypothesis does not apply to the
steroidogenic action of corticotropin. Biochem J 236:5359[Medline]
-
Kimoto T, Ohta Y, Kawato S 1996 Adrenocorticotropin
induces calcium oscillation in adrenal fasciculata cells: single cell
imaging. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 221:2530[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Yanagibashi K, Papadopoulos V, Masaki E, Iwaki T,
Kawamura M, Hall PF 1989 Forskolin activates voltage-dependent
Ca2+ channels in bovine but not in rat fasciculata cells.
Endocrinology 124:23832391[Abstract]
-
Yamazaki T, Higuchi K, Kominami S, Takemori S 1996 15-Lipoxygenase metabolite(s) of arachidonic acid mediates
adrenocorticotropin action in bovine adrenal steroidogenesis.
Endocrinology 137:26702675[Abstract]
-
Ramachandran J, Lee V 1970 Preparation and
properties of the o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl derivative of ACTH:
an inhibitor of the lipolytic action of the hormone. Biochem Biophys
Res Commun 38:507512[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Scoffone E, Fontana A, Rocchi R 1968 Sulfenyl
halides as modifying reagents for polypeptides and proteins.
Biochemistry 7:971979[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Yamazaki T, Nawa K, Kominami S, Takemori S 1992 Cytochrome P-45017
, lyase-mediating pathway of androgen
synthesis in bovine adrenocortical cultured cells. Biochim Biophys Acta 1134:143148[Medline]
-
Chu FW, Hyatt PJ 1986 Purification of dispersed rat
adrenal zona glomerulosa cells by Percoll density gradient
centrifugation and the isolation of a population of cells highly
responsive to adrenocorticotropin. J Endocrinol 109:351358[Abstract]
-
Yamazaki T, McNamara BC, Jefcoate CR 1993 Competition for electron transfer between cytochrome
P450scc and P45011ß in rat adrenal
mitochondria. Mol Cell Endocrinol 95:111[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Clegg CH, Abrahamsen MS, Degen JL, Morris DR, McKnight
GS 1992 Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase controls basal gene
activity and steroidogenesis in Y1 adrenal tumor cells. Biochemistry 31:37203726[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Miyamoto N, Seo H, Kanda K, Hidaka H, Matsui N 1992 A 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent pathway is responsible
for a rapid increase in c-fos messenger ribonucleic acid by
adrenocorticotropin. Endocrinology 130:32313236[Abstract]
-
Hanukoglu I, Feuchtwanger R, Hanukoglu A 1990 Mechanism of corticotropin and cAMP induction of mitochondrial
cytochrome P450 system enzymes in adrenal cortex cells. J Biol
Chem 265:2060220608[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Barrett PQ, Bollag WB, Rasmussen H 1988 Mechanism
of action of angiotensin II. In: Cooke BA, King RJB, van der Molen HJ
(eds) Hormones and Their Actions, Part II. Elsevier, New York, pp
211229
-
Burnay MM, Python CP, Vallotton MB, Capponi AM,
Rossier MF 1994 Role of the capacitative calcium influx in the
activation of steroidogenesis by angiotensin-II in adrenal glomerulosa
cells. Endocrinology 135:751758[Abstract]
-
Rössig R, Z-lyomi A, Catt KJ, Balla T 1996 Regulation of angiotensin II-stimulated Ca2+ oscillations
by Ca2+ influx mechanisms in adrenal glomerulosa cells.
J Biol Chem 271:2206322069[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Schrey MP, Rubin RP 1979 Characterization of a
calcium-mediated activation of arachidonic acid turnover in adrenal
phospholipids by corticotropin. J Biol Chem 254:1123411241[Free Full Text]
-
Nichols RC, Vanderhoek JY 1991 Calcium regulation
of the human PMN cytosolic 15-lipoxygenase. Biochim Biophys Acta 1085:7781[Medline]
-
Nishikawa T, Omura M, Noda M, Yoshida S 1994 Possible involvement of lipoxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid in
the regulation of pregnenolone synthesis in bovine adrenocortical
mitochondria. J Biochem 116:833837[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Richter C, Frei B, Cerutti PS 1987 Mobilization of
mitochondrial Ca2+ by hydroperoxy-eicosatetraenoic acid.
Biochem Biophys Res Commun 143:609616[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Buckley DI, Ramachandran J 1981 Characterization of
corticotropin receptors on adrenocortical cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 78:74317435[Abstract/Free Full Text]
-
Zhang SH, Hennessy DP, McCauley I, Cranwell PD 1993 Adrenocortical ACTH receptors in pigs of differing in vivo
response to adrenocorticotropin. Comp Biochem Physiol 104A:4349
-
Seelig S, Sayers G 1973 Isolated adrenal cortex
cells: ACTH agonists, partial agonists, antagonis: cyclic AMP and
corticosterone production. Arch Biochem Biophys 154:230239[CrossRef][Medline]
-
Moyle WR, Kong YC, Ramachandran J 1973 Steroidogenesis and cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate accumulation
in rat adrenal cells. Divergent effects of adrenocorticotropin and its
o-nitrophenyl sulfenyl derivative. J Biol Chem 218:24092417
-
Kapas S, Cammas FM, Hinson JP, Clark AJL 1996 Agonist and receptor binding properties of adrenocorticotropin peptides
using the cloned mouse adrenocorticotropin receptor expressed in a
stably transfected HeLa cell line. Endocrinology 137:32913294[Abstract]
-
Szalay KS, Wied DD, Stark E 1989 Effects of
ACTH-(1124) on the corticosteroid production of isolated
adrenocortical cells. J Steroid Biochem 32:259262[CrossRef][Medline]
This article has been cited by other articles:

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. M. C. Connell, S. M. MacKenzie, E. M. Freel, R. Fraser, and E. Davies
A Lifetime of Aldosterone Excess: Long-Term Consequences of Altered Regulation of Aldosterone Production for Cardiovascular Function
Endocr. Rev.,
April 1, 2008;
29(2):
133 - 154.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Doufexis, H. L. Storr, P. J. King, and A. J. L. Clark
Interaction of the melanocortin 2 receptor with nucleoporin 50: evidence for a novel pathway between a G-protein-coupled receptor and the nucleus
FASEB J,
December 1, 2007;
21(14):
4095 - 4100.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
C. E. Mohn, J. Fernandez-Solari, A. De Laurentiis, J. P. Prestifilippo, C. de la Cal, R. Funk, S. R. Bornstein, S. M. McCann, and V. Rettori
The rapid release of corticosterone from the adrenal induced by ACTH is mediated by nitric oxide acting by prostaglandin E2
PNAS,
April 26, 2005;
102(17):
6213 - 6218.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
M. Slawik, N. Reisch, O. Zwermann, C. Maser-Gluth, M. Stahl, A. Klink, M. Reincke, and F. Beuschlein
Characterization of an Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) Receptor Promoter Polymorphism Leading to Decreased Adrenal Responsiveness to ACTH
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,
July 1, 2004;
89(7):
3131 - 3137.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. Chiyo, T. Yamazaki, K. Aoshika, S. Kominami, and Y. Ohta
Corticosterone Enhances Adrenocorticotropin-Induced Calcium Signals in Bovine Adrenocortical Cells
Endocrinology,
August 1, 2003;
144(8):
3376 - 3381.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
X.-z. Lin, H. Takemori, Y. Katoh, J. Doi, N. Horike, A. Makino, Y. Nonaka, and M. Okamoto
Salt-Inducible Kinase Is Involved in the ACTH/cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Signaling in Y1 Mouse Adrenocortical Tumor Cells
Mol. Endocrinol.,
August 1, 2001;
15(8):
1264 - 1276.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
T. Kimoto, T. Tsurugizawa, Y. Ohta, J.'y. Makino, H.-o. Tamura, Y. Hojo, N. Takata, and S. Kawato
Neurosteroid Synthesis by Cytochrome P450-Containing Systems Localized in the Rat Brain Hippocampal Neurons: N-Methyl-D-Aspartate and Calcium-Dependent Synthesis
Endocrinology,
August 1, 2001;
142(8):
3578 - 3589.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
A. Slominski, J. Wortsman, T. Luger, R. Paus, and S. Solomon
Corticotropin Releasing Hormone and Proopiomelanocortin Involvement in the Cutaneous Response to Stress
Physiol Rev,
July 1, 2000;
80(3):
979 - 1020.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|

|
 |

|
 |
 
J. A. Enyeart, L. Xu, and J. J. Enyeart
A Bovine Adrenocortical Kv1.4 K+ Channel Whose Expression Is Potently Inhibited by ACTH
J. Biol. Chem.,
October 27, 2000;
275(44):
34640 - 34649.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
 |
|