Cortisol Production In Cells Research Articles

Inhibitory Effect of Rhei Rhizoma Constituents on the Cortisol Production in ACTH-Stimulated Bovine Adrenal Fasciculata Cells

Depression can be activated by dysfunction of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and is sometimes accompanied by increased cortisol production. In this study, the effects of Kampo extract products on cortisol production in bovine adrenal fasciculata cells via adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation were investigated with the aim of identifying substances that can improve the function of the HPA axis. Daiokanzoto extract product, which is prepared from Rhei Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix as the constituent crude drugs, was found to potently inhibit cortisol production in bovine adrenal fasciculata cells. Because only Rhei Rhizoma decoction showed potent inhibitory effect, the cortisol production inhibitory substances in Rhei Rhizoma was analyzed. As a result, six anthraquinones: chrysophanol, emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein, chrysophanol-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, and physicion-8-O-β-D-glucopyranoside were isolated and identified from Rhei Rhizoma decoction. Among these compounds, emodin showed the strongest inhibition of the ACTH-induced cortisol production in cells (IC50 = 13.1 ± 1.9 µM). These results suggest that emodin may help of stress-induced illnesses such as depression.

Inheritable stimulatory effects of caffeine on steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression and cortisol production in human adrenocortical cells

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance in the world. It can elevate the level of glucocorticoid which is involved in metabolism regulation, stress response, and immune function. However, the specific mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Glucocorticoid is steroid hormone synthesized in adrenal cortex and the key rate-limiting step in its biosynthesis is mediated by steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR). This study was designed to investigate the direct effects and inheritable epigenetic mechanisms of caffeine on cortisol production and StAR expression in human adrenocortical cells. The human adrenocortical cell line NCI-H295A was cultured with 0.4–40μM caffeine. There was a significant increase of the cortisol production in cells. In both acutely and chronically caffeine-treated cell groups, mRNA and protein expressions of StAR were stimulated in a dose-dependent manner. DNA methylation detection via bisulfite-sequencing PCR (BSP) uncovered a single site CpG demethylation at nt −682 within the StAR promoter region. Then we investigated how long the increased StAR expression and the single CpG demethylation could last. The caffeine was withdrawn after 48h of treatment and then the cells were continually subcultured for up to 5 and 10 passages, respectively. The results showed that the StAR expression at post-caffeine passage 10 still increased, as compared with that in the control. The caffeine-induced demethylation at nt −682 in StAR promoter underwent a similar time course as StAR expression does. The present study reveals the direct effect and possible inheritable epigenetic mechanism of caffeine on steroidogenesis in human adrenocortical cells and has implications for our understanding of the consumption of caffeine.

Human cultured adrenal fasciculata-reticularis cells are targets for angiotensin-II: effects on cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage, cytochrome P450 17 alpha-hydroxylase, and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase messenger ribonucleic acid and proteins and on steroidogenic responsiveness to corticotropin and angiotensin-II.

In the present study we have examined the effects of ACTH and angiotensin-II (A-II) on cultured human adult fasciculata-reticularis-specific functions. When cells were cultured in a chemically defined medium, the mRNA levels of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), 17 alpha-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P45017 alpha), and 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) progressively declined, so that by day 6 of culture, less than 20% of those observed in freshly isolated cells were present. ACTH and A-II, in a dose- and time-dependent manner, enhanced the mRNA levels of the three enzymes and the protein levels of P45017 alpha and 3 beta HSD, but not protein levels of P450scc. At maximal concentrations, the effects of ACTH on P450scc mRNA levels and P45017 alpha mRNA and protein levels were significantly greater than those induced by A-II, but the effects of both hormones on 3 beta HSD mRNA and protein were similar. At maximal concentrations, the effects of ACTH and A-II were additive only on 3 beta HSD mRNA and protein. The cortisol production of cells pretreated with ACTH or A-II was significantly higher than that of control cells, but the effects of ACTH were greater than those of A-II. Moreover, the acute steroidogenic responses to ACTH or A-II of cells pretreated with either hormone, were significantly higher than those of control cells. In conclusion, the present results demonstrate that human adult adrenal fasciculata-reticularis cells are targets for A-II, because 1) A-II acutely stimulates cortisol secretion and causes a long term increase in P450scc, P45017 alpha, and 3 beta HSD mRNA levels; 2) the steroidogenic responsiveness of A-II-pretreated cells to both ACTH and A-II was increased; and 3) the positive effects of A-II alone or in association with ACTH on steroidogenic enzyme gene expression are opposite those previously reported on bovine and ovine adrenal cells.