Endocrinology Vol. 140, No. 10 4411-4418
Copyright © 1999 by The Endocrine Society
Adrenal Capillary Endothelial Cells Stimulate Aldosterone Release through a Protein That Is Distinct from Endothelin1
Lori J. Rosolowsky,
Craig J. Hanke and
William B. Campbell
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226; and the Department of
Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas,
Texas 75235
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. William B. Campbell, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226. E-mail: wbcamp{at}mcw.edu
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Abstract
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We tested the possibility that bovine adrenal capillary endothelial
cells (ECs) stimulate aldosterone secretion from bovine zona
glomerulosa (ZG) cells by the release of a transferable factor. In
coincubations of ZG cells and ECs in serum-free medium, aldosterone
release was stimulated approximately 17-fold, and the stimulation was
related to the concentration of ECs. The maximal stimulation by ECs was
75% of the maximal response to ACTH. In contrast, adrenal pericytes
and fibroblasts were without effect. ECs incubated alone without ZG
cells did not produce aldosterone. Conditioned medium from ECs (EC-CM),
but not adrenal fibroblasts, stimulated aldosterone release
approximately 3-fold. The stimulation increased with the concentration
of EC-CM and the duration of conditioning time. Steroidogenic activity
in EC-CM was abolished by pronase treatment, indicating that the active
factor was a protein. However, the activity in EC-CM was distinct from
that of endothelin-1 (ET-1), an endothelial peptide that also
stimulates aldosterone secretion, as it was not blocked by the
ETB receptor antagonist PD-145065, it did not alter
[125I]ET-1 binding to ZG cells, and its release occurred
before the release of ET-1. Neither ECs nor EC-CM stimulated the
production of cortisol from zona fasciculata cells. The activity
of EC-CM was not blocked by an angiotensin II AT1 receptor
antagonist or a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist. EC-CM
stimulated increased intracellular calcium in fura-2-loaded ZG cells,
but did not increase the production of cAMP. Using gel filtration, this
peptide had an approximate molecular mass of 3000 Da and migrated
earlier than ET-1. This study demonstrates that ECs in
vitro alter steroidogenesis through the release of a
transferable substance and suggests the existence of an
endothelium-derived steroidogenic factor that is produced by adrenal
capillary ECs. This endothelium-derived steroidogenic factor may
function in the adrenal gland as a paracrine regulator of aldosterone
secretion.
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Introduction
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THE CLOSE ANATOMICAL association of
endothelial cells (ECs) with smooth muscle cells and the formed
elements of the blood permits interactions between these cells. It is
now recognized that ECs release a variety of soluble mediators that
affect vascular tone, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte function
(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Some of these compounds include prostacyclin,
endothelium-derived relaxing factor or nitric oxide,
endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor, and endothelin (ET). We
considered an analogous situation in the capillary vasculature in which
the smooth muscle cell layer is not present and the capillary
endothelium is in close anatomical contact with other cells that
compose the tissue. The adrenal gland is highly vascularized with
capillaries that form irregular configurations around clusters of
steroidogenic cells (7, 8). In the zona fasciculata, the capillaries
enlarge and are designated sinusoids. The close association between
capillary and sinusoidal ECs and steroidogenic cells suggested that ECs
may be involved in the regulation of steroidogenesis. Support for this
hypothesis was provided by data suggesting that there is an
intraadrenal regulator of steroidogenesis (9) and that changes in
adrenal blood flow promote steroid release (7). Campbell found that
increasing zona glomerulosa (ZG) cell number increased basal and
stimulated aldosterone release per cell (10). After excluding various
known mediators of aldosterone release, he speculated that a novel
aldosterone-stimulating factor mediated the positive effect of cell
density on aldosterone release. Hinson and co-workers reported that
ACTH and angiotensin II increase adrenal blood flow, dilate adrenal
vessels, and increase steroidogenesis (11). Histamine is thought to
mediate the increase in adrenal blood flow (12); however, the mediator
of flow-induced steroidogenesis is unknown. ECs respond to flow and
shear stress by releasing nitric oxide, prostacyclin, and ET (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18).
Two of these products, prostacyclin and ET, stimulate aldosterone
release (19, 20, 21), whereas nitric oxide inhibits aldosterone production
(22, 23). As ECs release vasoactive mediators in response to flow
and shear stress, they may be the source of the mediator of
flow-induced steroidogenesis. The hypothesis that capillary ECs produce
an endothelium-derived steroidogenic factor (EDSF) was tested in
vitro using cultured bovine adrenal capillary ECs and bovine
adrenal ZG and zona fasciculata (ZF) cells. These studies indicate that
adrenal ECs produce a protein that stimulates aldosterone
production.
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Materials and Methods
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Cell culture methods
Bovine adrenal ZG cells were cultured as previously described
(24). Cells were plated in Primaria 24-well culture dishes
(Becton Dickinson and Co., Lincoln Park, NJ) at a density
of 24 x 105 cells/well. Cell viability was
approximately 60% at the time of plating as measured by exclusion of
trypan blue. Nonviable cells did not adhere and were removed when the
medium was replaced. Cells were maintained at 37 C in a humidified
atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. The growth medium was
replaced every 24 h with medium containing 2% FCS. Cells were
used upon reaching confluence, usually 35 days, and cell viability
was greater than 95% at that time. Adrenal ZF cells were cultured as
described by Rainey et al. (25). Fasciculata cells were
plated in DMEM-Hams F-12 medium containing FBS (5%), ITS+ premix
(insulin, transferrin, selenium, and BSA; 1%), and
antibiotic-antimycotic solution (1%). Plating density was
approximately 0.751.0 x 106 cells/well in Primaria
or Corning, Inc. (Houston, TX), 24-well culture plates.
The cells were fed daily with fresh growth medium containing 2% FBS
and were used upon reaching confluence.
Bovine adrenal capillary ECs were isolated as described by
Gospodarowicz et al. (26). Tissue fragments from the
cortical zone were incubated at 37 C in 0.5% collagenase in PBS. The
supernatant containing the dispersed cells was collected, and the cells
were washed three times with DMEM containing glucose (4.5 g/liter),
calf serum (10%), and gentamicin (50 µg/ml; plating medium). The
cells were plated on 60-mm gelatin-coated petri dishes in PBS and
incubated at 37 C in an atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air. After
30 min and again at 2 h, cells that did not adhere were removed,
and plating medium was added. After 1 day, colonies of ECs appeared as
groups of loosely connected cells growing in swirls. The cells were
subsequently grown in DMEM containing glucose (4.5 g/liter), calf serum
(10%), endothelial mitogen (25 ng/ml), and basic fibroblast growth
factor (5 ng/ml; endothelial cell growth medium). The medium was
changed every 23 days. The purity of endothelial cell cultures was
assessed as greater than 95% by their uniform cobblestone morphology
as well as positive staining for
(1,1-dioctadecyl-3,3,3,3-tetramethyl indocarbocyanine)
diI-acetylated low density lipoprotein (diI-Ac LDL) and factor
VIII antigen and negative staining for smooth muscle
-actin by
immunofluorescence. Furthermore, EC cultures did not produce detectable
amounts of aldosterone or cortisol. Cells were transferred
nonenzymatically by incubation in Pucks/EDTA medium or by allowing
them to migrate to microcarrier beads (see below). Cells from passages
26 were used.
Pericytes were present in some early passage cultures of adrenal ECs.
These cells were identified by a unique morphology with longitudinal
and circumferential processes (27). Mixed cultures were separated and
enriched by exposing them to a Pucks/EDTA solution. ECs detached in
this medium and were replated in bovine adrenal endothelial cell growth
medium. The adherent pericytes were then incubated in Pucks/EDTA with
trypsin (0.08%) and plated in DMEM containing bovine calf serum (10%)
and antibiotic-antimycotic mixture (1%), but without endothelial
mitogen or basic fibroblast growth factor (pericyte growth medium).
Enriched cultures of pericytes were characterized by their morphology,
slow (10- to 14-day) doubling time, and lack of staining with
diI-Ac-LDL. Cells from passages 36 were used.
Adrenal fibroblasts sometimes appeared in overgrown cultures of adrenal
capillary ECs. These cells exhibited typical fibroblast morphology and
a lack of contact inhibition at confluence. The same method used to
enrich pericyte populations was used in isolating fibroblasts.
Fibroblasts were also grown in DMEM containing bovine calf serum (10%)
and antibiotic-antimycotic mixture (1%; fibroblast growth medium).
Subsequent passages of these cells were characterized by morphology and
lack of staining with diI-Ac-LDL. Cells from passages 35 were used
for these studies.
EC-ZG cell interaction
For cell-cell interaction experiments, sterilized Cytodex 3
microcarrier beads were suspended in the appropriate cell growth medium
and added to confluent cell monolayers of ECs, fibroblasts, or
pericytes at a concentration of 12 mg beads/ml culture medium (28).
Typically, cells migrated onto and divided on the beads so that the
beads were 80100% covered with cells after 24 h. Confluent
cultures of beads were used to seed new cultures onto tissue culture
dishes or for ZG cell incubations as described below. Before an
experiment, confluent ZG cells were washed twice with 1 ml modified
F-12 medium containing 1 mg/ml BSA (buffer 1) and allowed to incubate
for 2 h in this medium. Before the start of the experiment, cells
growing on microcarrier beads were dislodged from the underlying cell
monolayer by spraying culture medium over the surface of the dish with
a pipette. The beads were collected in a plastic centrifuge tube and
allowed to settle. The culture medium was then removed and replaced
with buffer 1. After two washes in buffer 1, cells were resuspended in
an appropriate volume of F-12 containing 2 mg/ml BSA and 1.8
mM calcium chloride (buffer 2) to give a final
concentration of 110 mg beads/ml. Cell-free beads that had been
preincubated in culture medium were rinsed and resuspended in the same
manner. For the concentration-response experiment, suspensions of
endothelial cell-covered beads (5 mg/ml) or cell-free beads were
diluted with increasing volumes of buffer 2. The ZG cells were
incubated at 37 C for 1 or 2 h with 1 ml/well of the various
dilutions. The medium was then removed and stored at -40 C until
assayed for aldosterone. ZF cells were handled in the same manner, and
the medium was assayed for cortisol.
Studies with EC-conditioned medium (EC-CM)
In experiments using CM, microcarrier beads coated with adrenal
ECs, adrenal fibroblasts, or cell-free beads were collected in a
plastic conical tube and washed, and the tube was incubated
horizontally in buffer 2 at 37 C to maximize contact between beads and
medium. In some experiments, the incubation time of the beads with
buffer 2 was varied to determine the effect of conditioning time on
steroidogenic activity. The conditioning time varied from 0.53 h. At
the end of the conditioning period, the tubes were placed vertically to
allow the beads to settle. The CM was removed from the beads, and 1 ml
of the CM was transferred to ZG cells that had been washed and prepared
as described above. In some experiments, the EC- or fibroblast-CM was
diluted with various amounts of CM from cell-free beads. One milliliter
of each of the dilutions was added to ZG cells or ZF cells. The cells
were then incubated for 2 h at 37 C, and the buffer was removed
and stored at -40 C until assayed for aldosterone or cortisol.
In other experiments, cell free or EC-CM was collected, various
antagonists were added, and the medium was transferred to ZG cells that
had been pretreated with the corresponding antagonists. The ZG cells
were then incubated at 37 C for 2 h. The medium was removed and
stored at -40 C until assayed for aldosterone. The antagonists
included the angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonist
losartan (10-5 M), the bradykinin
B2 receptor antagonist
D-Arg-[Hyp8,Thy5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin
(10-5 M), and the endothelin ETB
receptor antagonist PD-145065 (10-5
M).
The protease sensitivity of cell free and EC-CM was tested by
incubating CM with pronase immobilized on agarose (pronase-CB). The
pronase gel was washed twice with buffer 1 before use. After a 2-h
incubation with CM (0.4 U pronase/ml CM) in a shaking 37 C water bath,
samples were centrifuged to pellet the pronase, and the supernatant was
transferred to ZG cells. ZG cells were incubated for 2 h at 37 C,
and the medium was stored frozen at -40 C until assayed for
aldosterone.
The proteins contained in EC-CM were separated by gel filtration
chromatography on a Pharmacia Superose 12 HR 10/30 column
(Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, NJ). EC-CM was lyophilized
and resuspended in 0.15 M ammonium bicarbonate buffer, pH
7.8, at 10-fold the original concentration. After the injection of 500
µl of this concentrate, the column was eluted with ammonium
bicarbonate buffer at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. Fractions were
collected in 1-ml volumes, and fractions from 635 ml were assayed for
steroidogenic activity. The assay was conducted by adding 0.1 ml of
each fraction to 1 ml ZG cell incubation medium. ZG cells were
incubated for 2 h at 37 C, and the medium was removed and stored
frozen at -40 C until assayed for aldosterone.
Binding of [125I]ET-1 to ZG cells
Binding of [125I]ET-1 to ZG cells was based on the
method of Cozza et al. (29). Cells were cultured for 4 or 5
days in 12-well plates at a density of 200,000 cells/well. The cells
were washed twice in buffer 1 and allowed to incubate for 2 h at
37 C. The buffer was then removed and replaced with modified Hams
F-12 containing 0.1% BSA, pepstatin (10 µg/ml), and bacitracin (100
µg/ml). [125I]ET-1 was added to the ZG cells at 5
x 105 cpm/well along with increasing concentrations of
unlabeled ET-1 or EC-CM. The EC-CM was conditioned for 2 h and
subsequently diluted with cell-free CM. ZG cells were incubated for
1 h at 37 C followed by a series of four washes with 1 ml/well
ice-cold PBS. ZG cells were solubilized with 0.5 N NaOH.
The resulting suspension was transferred to 12 x 75-mm culture
tubes and passed through a Brandel cell harvester (Bethesda, MD). The
radioactivity bound to the cell harvester filter membranes was measured
by
-scintillation spectrometry.
Intracellular calcium measurement
Experiments determining intracellular calcium release in ZG
cells were performed as described by Csukas et al. with
slight modifications (30). Briefly, ZG cells were loaded with fura-2/AM
in 10 mM HEPES buffer (pH 7.4) containing 155
mM sodium chloride, 5 mM potassium chloride,
1.8 mM calcium chloride, 1 mM magnesium
chloride, 5.5 mM glucose, and 1 mg/ml BSA (HEPES buffer).
Fura-2/AM was diluted in HEPES buffer containing 1.25 mg/ml BSA and
0.5% dimethylsulfoxide to a final concentration of 5 µM.
ZG cells were loaded with fura-2/AM for 1 h at room temperature.
After loading, the cells were washed four times with HEPES buffer and
transferred to a Photon Technologies, Inc. (Princeton, NJ), dual
excitation fluorescence microscope. ZG cells were stimulated with
angiotensin II (1 µM) and EC-CM.
RIAs
Aldosterone was measured by RIA as described by Gomez-Sanchez
et al. (31). Cortisol was measured as described by
Rosolowsky and Campbell (24). ET-1 was measured in EC-CM by RIA as
described by Hieda and Gomez-Sanchez (32). The ET-1 standards,
[125I]ET-1, and anti-ET-1 serum were diluted in an assay
buffer consisting of 0.05 M sodium phosphate (pH 7.4)
containing 0.1% BSA, 0.05 M sodium chloride, 0.1% Triton
X-100, and 1 mM EDTA. For the assay, 0.1 ml ET-1 standard
or EC-CM was added to 12 x 75-mm culture tubes containing 0.1 ml
anti-ET-1 serum diluted 1:4000 and 0.1 ml [125I]ET-1
containing 6000 counts/min. This mixture was incubated for 18 h at
4 C. After the addition of 0.1 ml goat antirabbit antibody diluted 1:20
and 0.3 ml 16.6% polyethylene glycol, the samples were incubated for
18 h at 4 C. The antibody-bound counts were removed by
centrifugation, the supernatant was decanted, and radioactivity was
measured using a
-scintillation spectrometer. cAMP was measured as
described by Callahan et al. (33) and Csukas et
al. (30).
Statistics
Statistical analysis was performed using a two-way ANOVA for
concentration-response experiments with more than one treatment,
followed by multiple comparisons tests when differences were found to
be significant. A Bonferroni adjustment was used at an overall
significance level of P < 0.05. Otherwise, Students
t test was used. Data represent averages of multiple
incubations from at least two cell preparations or are a representative
experiment from multiple preparations.
Materials
Earles Balanced Salt Solution, horse serum, and antibiotics
(Life Technologies, Inc., Grand Island, NY); FBS
(HyClone Laboratories, Inc. Logan, UT); collagenase and
dispase (Roche Molecular Biochemicals, Indianapolis, IN);
basic fibroblast growth factor (R\|[amp ]\|D Systems, Minneapolis,
MN); and endothelial mitogen (Biomedical Technologies,
Inc., Stoughton, MA) were obtained from commercial sources. Primaria
culture plates were purchased from Becton Dickinson and Co. (Lincoln Park, NJ), and Cytodex 3 beads were obtained from
Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO). Other cell culture
plasticware was purchased from Corning, Inc. (Houston,
TX). ET-1 was obtained from Peptides International (Louisville, KY),
Losartan from DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co., Inc.
(Wilmington, DE), PD-145065 from Parke-Davis (Detroit,
MI), and
D-Arg-[Hyp8,Thy5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin
from Peninsula Laboratories, Inc. (Belmont, CA). Fura-2/AM
dye was purchased from Molecular Probes, Inc. (Eugene,
OR). [125I]ET-1 and [3H]aldosterone were
obtained from NEN Life Science Products (Boston, MA). The
antialdosterone antiserum was a gift from the Pituitary Hormone
Distribution Program of the NIH. The anti-ET-1 and anti-cortisol
antibodies were gifts from Dr. Celso Gomez-Sanchez, University of
Missouri (Columbia, MO).
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Results
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Incubation of ZG cells with adrenal capillary EC-coated beads
stimulated the release of aldosterone (Fig. 1
). Aldosterone release in EC/ZG cell
coincubations was significantly greater than the release from ZG cells
coincubated with cell-free beads. The effect was related to the number
of EC-coated beads added. At EC/ZG cell ratios of 0.08 and 0.4,
aldosterone synthesis was increased by 2.9-fold (P <
0.0001) and 17.5-fold (P < 0.0001), respectively, over
that in the corresponding cell-free bead controls. Aldosterone
production was not detectable from cell free- or EC-covered beads
incubated alone without ZG cells (data not shown). ZG cells incubated
with a maximal concentration of ACTH (3.5 x 10-8
M) produced 7.61 ± 0.69 pg aldosterone/µg
protein·2 h. Thus, the stimulation of ZG aldosterone release by the
highest number of ECs tested was approximately 75% of the maximal
aldosterone released by ACTH. ZG cells incubated with adrenal
fibroblasts or pericytes did not increase aldosterone release compared
with those incubated with cell-free beads (P <
0.0001), and there was no relationship between numbers of fibroblasts
or pericytes and the release of aldosterone. Aldosterone production by
adrenal fibroblasts and pericytes incubated without ZG cells was
undetectable.

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Figure 1. Effect of adrenal capillary ECs, pericytes, or
fibroblasts on aldosterone release from cultured bovine adrenal ZG
cells. ZG cells were incubated for 2 h with increasing
concentrations of cell-free microcarrier beads (open
circles) or beads cultured with capillary ECs (open
squares), fibroblasts (solid squares), or
pericytes (solid triangles) from bovine adrenal gland.
Incubation medium was removed and assayed for aldosterone by RIA. ZG
cells that were incubated with 3.5 x 10-8
M ACTH as a positive control produced 7.61 ± 0.69 pg
aldosterone/µg protein·2 h. In blank incubations without ZG cells,
adrenal ECs, fibroblasts, and pericytes did not produce detectable
amounts of aldosterone. Results are the mean ± SEM
for six determinations.
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EC-CM stimulated aldosterone release in a concentration-related manner
(Fig. 2
). Incubation of ZG cells with
cell-free CM containing 25% EC-CM increased aldosterone production by
1.6-fold compared with that by ZG cells incubated with cell free-CM
(P < 0.02). One hundred percent EC-CM stimulated
aldosterone production by 3.3-fold (P < 0.0001). The
stimulation of aldosterone release by 100% EC-CM was equal to 25% of
the effect of a maximal ACTH stimulus (18.2 ± 2.7 pg
aldosterone/µg protein·h; data not shown). CM from adrenal
fibroblasts did not stimulate aldosterone release at any concentration.
The CM from ECs or fibroblasts did not contain detectable
concentrations of aldosterone.

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Figure 2. Effects of varying concentrations of CM from
adrenal endothelial cells or fibroblasts on aldosterone release. CM
from ECs and fibroblasts were added to different sets of ZG cells. The
ZG cells were incubated with CM for 1 h, and the medium was
assayed for aldosterone. Aldosterone production with a maximal stimulus
of ACTH (3.5 x 10-8 M) was
18.2 ± 2.7 pg/µg protein·h. Results are the mean ±
SEM for six determinations.
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To determine the time course of stimulatory activity, ECs were
conditioned for 5120 min, and the CM was tested for the ability to
stimulate aldosterone (Fig. 3
, top). Stimulatory activity could be detected at 15 min
(P < 0.003 vs. cell free-CM) and reached a
maximum at 30 min, after which it appeared to plateau. Medium that was
conditioned by adrenal fibroblasts for up to 4 h did not stimulate
aldosterone release (Fig. 3
, bottom). These data indicate
that adrenal ECs release a soluble factor that stimulates aldosterone
release, which we termed EDSF.

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Figure 3. Effect of conditioning time of adrenal EC or
fibroblasts on aldosterone release. Medium from adrenal ECs
(solid circles, top), adrenal fibroblasts (solid
squares, bottom), or cell-free beads (open
circles) were conditioned for increasing time periods and
transferred to ZG cells. CM were incubated with ZG cells for 2 h,
and the medium was assayed for aldosterone. Results are the mean
± SEM for five determinations.
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To determine the nature of EDSF, we tested the effect of protease
treatment on EDSF activity. The sensitivity of EDSF to proteolytic
degradation was determined by exposing CM to pronase immobilized on
agarose. Untreated EC-CM stimulated aldosterone release by 7-fold
compared with cell-free CM (Fig. 4
).
Treatment with pronase completely eliminated the stimulatory activity
of EC-CM. The aldosterone release with cell-free CM was not altered by
pronase treatment. These data indicate that EDSF is a protein or
peptide and led us to compare the steroidogenic activity of EDSF to
those of the commonly known steroidogenic peptide agonists, ACTH,
angiotensin II, ET-1, and bradykinin.

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Figure 4. Effect of pronase exposure on aldosterone
stimulatory activity of EC-CM. EC-CM and cell-free CM were treated with
agarose-immobilized pronase for 2 h. Pronase was removed by
centrifugation, and the supernatant was added to ZG cells for a 2-h
incubation. Medium was assayed for aldosterone. Results are the
mean ± SEM for four determinations.
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ACTH is a potent stimulator of cortisol synthesis by ZF cells (34). We
examined the effect of ECs on cortisol synthesis from ZF cells as an
indicator of ACTH activity. Incubation of cultured ZF cells with
increasing concentrations of ECs did not increase cortisol production
(data not shown). Similarly, incubation with increasing concentrations
of EC-CM did not stimulate ZF cortisol synthesis (data not shown).
Stimulation of ZF cells with ACTH (3.5 pM) resulted in a
190-fold increase in cortisol production compared with that by the
cell-free bead control.
Angiotensin II (10 nM) stimulated a 5-fold increase in
aldosterone release compared with the control value (P
< 0.01; Fig. 5
, middle). The
angiotensin II stimulation was inhibited by pretreatment with the
angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan (10
µM). EC-CM-stimulated aldosterone release was
approximately 6-fold greater than that stimulated by cell-free
CM, but was not inhibited by losartan pretreatment. A similar
study was performed with bradykinin and the bradykinin
B2 receptor antagonist
D-Arg-[Hyp8,Thy5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin
(35). Bradykinin (100 nM)-stimulated aldosterone release
was 2.3-fold greater than control release (P < 0.01;
Fig. 5
, top). Pretreatment with the bradykinin antagonist
inhibited the stimulation by bradykinin. EC-CM-stimulated aldosterone
release was 2.2-fold greater than cell-free CM, but this stimulation
was not inhibited by the bradykinin antagonist. Aldosterone release
with cell-free CM was not altered by the bradykinin antagonist.
Previous studies indicate that ET-1 also stimulates the release of
aldosterone through an ETB receptor (36). We therefore
compared the stimulatory activity of EDSF to that of ET-1 using the
ETB receptor antagonist PD-145065 (Fig. 5
, bottom). ET-1 (100 nM) stimulated a 2-fold
increase in aldosterone release (P < 0.02), which was
blocked by PD-145065 (P < 0.01). EC-CM stimulated a
9.5-fold increase in aldosterone release, which was not significantly
reduced by the presence of the ET antagonist. To further determine the
role of ET-1, ECs were conditioned for 024 h to examine the time
course of ET-1 release. A detectable increase in ET-1 release was not
measured until after 3 h of conditioning (37 ± 1 pg/ml at
0 h vs. 173 ± 28 pg/ml at 3 h; data not
shown). ET-1 release was maximal at 12 h (2023 ± 162 pg/ml)
and appeared to plateau. In comparison, the release of EDSF was near
maximal at 3060 min (Fig. 3
, top). EDSF release was
significantly reduced at 12 h and showed no stimulation above
basal values at 24 h (data not shown). In ligand binding studies
with radiolabeled [125I]ET-1, EC-CM was examined for its
ability to displace [125I]ET-1 from the ET receptor on ZG
cells. Unlabeled ET-1 inhibited the binding of [125I]ET-1
to ZG cells with an IC50 of 2.5 nM. ET-1
displaced 90% of the bound [125I]ET-1 at a concentration
of 100 nM (data not shown). There was no significant
displacement of [125I]ET-1 by EC-CM (data not shown).
EC-CM increased intracellular calcium in ZG cells loaded with fura-2
dye. Angiotensin II (1 µM) increased ZG intracellular
calcium with a characteristic spike, followed by an elevated plateau
phase (Fig. 6B
). EC-CM stimulation did
not result in a calcium spike, but caused a sustained elevation of
intracellular calcium to concentrations comparable to those found
during the plateau phase of angiotensin II (Fig. 6A
). When summarized,
both angiotensin II and EC-CM caused sustained elevation of
intracellular calcium concentrations within ZG cells, but only
angiotensin II resulted in a rapid calcium spike (Fig. 6C
). Treatment
of ZG cells with EC-CM did not increase the production of cAMP.
Accumulation of cAMP was unchanged from 5120 min in ZG cells treated
with cell-free CM or EC-CM (Table 1
).
Maximal stimulation with 35 nM ACTH resulted in cAMP
production of 167 ± 6 pg/µg protein at 120 min.

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Figure 6. Stimulation of intracellular calcium concentration
by EC-CM and angiotensin II. EC-CM was conditioned for 3 h in
HEPES buffer. ZG cells were allowed to equilibrate in 500 µl HEPES
buffer for 5 min or until a stable baseline was obtained. Angiotensin
II (1 µM) or EC-CM (500 µl) was then added. A and B are
typical tracings of calcium concentration changes after stimulation
with EC-CM and angiotensin II, respectively. C is a summary of basal,
peak, and plateau calcium concentrations. The results in C are the
mean ± SEM for four determinations. *,
P < 0.0001 compared with basal.
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Gel filtration chromatography of EC-CM indicated that steroidogenic
activity eluted in a volume of 18 ml (Fig. 7
). This elution volume corresponds to an
approximate molecular mass of 3000 Da. The arrow in Fig. 7
indicates the elution volume of ET-1 standards analyzed under identical
conditions. EDSF and ET-1 eluted in different fractions.

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Figure 7. Resolution of aldosterone-stimulating activity in
lyophilized EC-CM by gel filtration chromatography. Lyophilized EC-CM
was concentrated 10-fold and injected onto a Pharmacia Superose 12 HR
column. The column was eluted with 0.15 M ammonium
bicarbonate buffer at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min. Fractions were assayed
for aldosterone stimulatory activity by diluting them 1:10 in SM2
buffer and incubating them for 2 h. Samples were assayed for
aldosterone.
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Discussion
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Previous studies have demonstrated that cultured bovine coronary
artery ECs release an endothelium-derived factor that stimulates
aldosterone synthesis (28). This factor was called EDSF. The close
proximity of adrenal ZG cells and adrenal capillary ECs suggested that
adrenal EC production of EDSF might be a local regulator of aldosterone
synthesis. The EDSF released by bovine coronary artery ECs appeared to
be a protein based on its sensitivity to proteases, stability at 37 C,
and resistance to temperature extremes (28). Adrenal capillary ECs also
produce an EDSF with similar sensitivity to pronase and distinct from
ACTH, angiotensin II, bradykinin, and ET-1. Furthermore, it had an
approximate molecular mass of 3000 Da.
The current data indicate that bovine adrenal capillary ECs, but not
adrenal fibroblasts or pericytes, stimulate aldosterone release from
bovine ZG cells. This effect was concentration dependent either by
varying the number of ECs during direct coincubations with ZG cells or
by the transfer of varying concentrations of EC-CM to ZG cells. As the
direct coincubation of ECs with ZG cells was not required to stimulate
aldosterone synthesis, ECs did not modify a precursor from ZG cells to
produce aldosterone. The ability of EC-CM to stimulate aldosterone
release indicates that the effect is mediated by a soluble factor that
is released during EC conditioning. The time course of EDSF release is
relatively rapid. The stimulatory factor in adrenal EC-CM was
detectable within 15 min of conditioning, peaked at 30 min, and
appeared to plateau. Extended conditioning periods indicated that EDSF
activity was decreased after 12 h, and no activity was evident
after 24 h. In comparison, endothelial release of ET-1 reached a
maximum at 12 h and remained at maximal concentrations after
24 h. Therefore, the release of ET-1 does not correlate with EDSF
release.
We have demonstrated that EDSF and ET-1 do not compete for a common
receptor site, as indicated by the inability of EC-CM to displace the
binding of [125I]ET-1 to ZG cells. The ET-1 antagonist,
PD145065, decreased EC-CM stimulated aldosterone release only slightly,
whereas it was capable of completely inhibiting ET-1-induced
aldosterone release. Based on these data, EDSF cannot be ET-1.
The effect of EDSF can be distinguished from other known stimulators of
aldosterone release. ACTH stimulated cortisol production from ZF cells
at a concentration of 3.5 pM. However, the failure of ECs
and EC-CM to stimulate cortisol synthesis from ZF cells indicates that
ACTH is not released from ECs. Therefore, EDSF cannot be ACTH. EDSF can
also be differentiated from angiotensin II and bradykinin through the
use of specific receptor antagonists. Previous studies have
demonstrated that the stimulation of aldosterone by angiotensin II is
mediated by the AT1 receptor subtype (37). In support of
this, the specific AT1 receptor antagonist, losartan,
completely inhibited the angiotensin II-stimulated release of
aldosterone. However, losartan pretreatment did not inhibit
EC-CM-stimulated aldosterone release, indicating that EDSF does not
function through the angiotensin AT1 receptor. Bradykinin
stimulation of aldosterone was completely inhibited by the
B2 receptor antagonist
D-Arg-[Hyp8,Thy5,8,D-Phe7]bradykinin
(35). However, EC-CM-stimulated aldosterone release was not inhibited
by pretreatment with the antagonist. Therefore, EDSF stimulation can
also be distinguished from bradykinin.
EC-CM signaling pathways appear to be through increased intracellular
calcium and are not dependent on the production of cAMP. The calcium
concentrations achieved with EC-CM stimulation are comparable to the
plateau phase of a high concentration of angiotensin II. However,
angiotensin II responses are characterized by an immediate calcium
spike, which is not seen with EC-CM stimulations. This difference in
the shapes of the calcium response curves may indicate that the early
phase of the angiotensin II response is not stimulated by EDSF. Similar
to angiotensin II, EC-CM appears to act only through the calcium
pathway and does not involve the accumulation of cAMP.
The separation of lyophilized EC-CM by gel filtration chromatography
indicated that the aldosterone-stimulating activity eluted with a
retention time corresponding to a molecular mass of approximately 3000
Da based on the elution of molecular mass standards. Its elution volume
was less than that of ET-1. These data indicate that EDSF is not a
known steroidogenic peptide, so it is either a novel peptide or a known
endothelial peptide not previously reported to affect aldosterone
release.
The mechanisms regulating EDSF production within the adrenal gland are
currently unknown. The immediate and relatively short term release of
EDSF suggests that the purpose of this peptide may be the intraadrenal
modulation of aldosterone release. The role of the endothelium in the
regulation of aldosterone production has been attributed to the
production of eicosanoids, ET-1, and, more recently, nitric oxide (19, 22, 23, 38). The production of EDSF by the adrenal endothelium
indicates a potent new mechanism for the interaction of the adrenal
endothelium and steroidogenic cells. The present study indicates that
ECs may alter hormone release via a paracrine mechanism, analogous to
their effects on vascular tone.
 |
Acknowledgments
|
|---|
The authors thank Ms. Gretchen Barg for her secretarial
assistance, and Ms. Martha Williams for her technical assistance. The
antialdosterone serum was generously provided by the Hormone
Distribution Program of the NIH.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
1 This work was supported by grants from the NHLBI (HL-21066 and
HL-52159). 
Received February 2, 1999.
 |
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