Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type Research Articles

The effects of chronic cadmium exposure on Bufo gargarizans larvae: Histopathological impairment, gene expression alteration and fatty acid metabolism disorder in the liver

Cadmium (Cd) a highly toxic metal to human and wildlife health and it is hazardous to both terrestrial and aquatic life. In this study, we used RNA sequencing analysis to examine the effects of chronic cadmium exposure on liver lipid metabolism of Bufo gargarizans larvae. Tadpoles were exposed to cadmium concentrations at 0, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 200 μg L−1 from Gosner stage 26–42 of metamorphic climax. The results showed high dose cadmium (50, 100 and 200 μg L−1) caused obvious histological changes characterized by hepatocytes deformation, nuclear pyknosis, increasing melanomacrophage centers (MMCs) and aggregated lipid droplets. Moreover, transcriptome analysis showed that liver function was seriously affected by cadmium exposure. Furthermore, high dose cadmium significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids 1 (ELOVL1), Mitochondrial trans-2-enoyl-CoA reductase (MECR), Trans-2, 3-enoyl-CoA reductase (TER) and Hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase type 12 (HSD17B12) which are related with fatty acid synthesis. Meanwhile, mRNA levels of genes related with fat acid oxidation such as acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 2 (ACAA2) and enoyl-coenzyme A (CoA) hydratase short chain 1 (ECHS1) were significantly upregulated while the expression of Acyl-coA thioesterase 1 (ACOT1), 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HADH), Palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1(PPT1) and Acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1(ACAA1) was significantly downregulated by high dose cadmium exposure. Furthermore, the mRNA level of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 11 (ABCB11) related with bile secretion was significantly decreased exposed to high dose cadmium. Our results suggested cadmium can cause liver dysfunction by inducing histopathological damages, genetic expression alterations and fatty acid metabolism disorder.

Design, synthesis, molecular docking and in vitro evaluation of benzothiazole derivatives as 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors

11-Beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regulates cortisol levels mainly in adipose, hepatic and brain tissues. There is a relationship between the high activity of this enzyme and the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. The inhibition of 11β-HSD1 has been shown to attenuate the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and other diseases mediated by excessive cortisol production. In this work, fifteen benzothiazole derivatives substituted with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating groups were designed to explore their affinity for 11β-HSD1 using in silico methods. The results show that (E)-5-((benzo[d]thiazol-2-ylimino)(methylthio)methylamino)-2-hydroxybenzoic acid (C1) has good physicochemical properties and favorable interactions with 11β-HSD1 through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions in the catalytic site formed by Y183, S170 and Y177. Furthermore, C1 was synthesized and evaluated in vitro and ex vivo using clobenzorex (CLX) as a reference drug in obese Zucker rats. The in vitro results showed that C1 was a better inhibitor of human 11β-HSD1 than CLX. The ex vivo assay results demonstrated that C1 was capable of reducing 11β-HSD1 overexpression in mesenteric adipose tissue. Therefore, C1 was able to decrease the activity and expression of 11β-HSD1 better than CLX.

Assisted Reproduction in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is a group of autosomal recessive disorders characterized by defects of adrenal steroidogenesis due to mutations in one of the following enzymes: 21-hydroxylase (21OH), 11β-hydroxylase (11βOH), 17α-hydroxylase (17OH; also known as 17, 20-lyase), 3β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (3βHSD2), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and P450 oxidoreductase (POR). More than 95% of congenital adrenal hyperplasia cases are due to mutations in CYP21A2, the gene encoding the adrenal steroid 21-hydroxylase enzyme (P450c21). This work focuses on this type of CAH given that it is the most frequent one. This disease is characterized by impaired cortisol and aldosterone production as well as androgen excess. A variant of the CAH is the non-classic type of CAH (NCCAH), usually asymptomatic before the 5th year of age, diagnosed during puberty especially in patients visiting a fertility clinic. NCCAH is characterized mainly by anovulatory cycles and/or high androgen concentrations. Both types of CAH are associated with infertility. Given that the incidence of NCCAH is greater than that of CAH, patients suffering from NCCAH are more often diagnosed for the first time in a fertility clinic. Thus, screening for NCCAH should always be considered. The causes of infertility in CAH patients are multi-factorial including virilization of external genitalia, altered psychosocial development, and hormonal disorders. The main challenges encountered in assisted reproduction are the androgen excess-associated anovulatory cycles as well as the increased circulating progesterone concentrations during the follicular phase which impact endometrial receptivity, tubal motility, and cervical thickness. Administration of sufficient substitution dose of glucocorticoids usually resolves these problems and leads not only to successful assisted reproduction treatment but also to spontaneous pregnancy. Patients with CAH should be followed by a multidisciplinary team including gynecologist, endocrinologist, and pediatrician.

P5442The non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone prevents structural cardiac remodeling

Abstract Background Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling mediates cardiac fibrosis. We studied the ability of the non-steroidal MR antagonist finerenone to prevent fibrotic remodeling. Methods and results In neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, finerenone prevented aldosterone-induced nuclear MR translocation. Treatment with finerenone decreased the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) (74±15% of control, p=0.005) and prevented aldosterone-induced upregulation of CTGF and lysyl oxidase (LOX) completely. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) upregulation induced through the Rac1 GTPase activator L-buthionine sulfoximine was attenuated by finerenone. Transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of Rac1 (RacET) showed increased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic (63.7±8.0 vs. 93.8±25.6μl, p=0.027) and end-systolic (28.0±4.0 vs. 49.5±16.7μl, p=0.014) volumes compared to wild-type FVBN control mice. Treatment of RacET mice with 100ppm finerenone over 5 months prevented LV dilatation. Systolic and diastolic LV function was similarly preserved in the three groups. RacET mice exhibited overactivation of MR and 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. Both effects were reduced by finerenone (reduction about 36%, p=0.030, and 40%, p=0.032, respectively). RacET mice demonstrated overexpression of TGF-β, CTGF, LOX as well as collagen and myocardial fibrosis in the left ventricle. In contrast, expression of these parameters did not differ between finerenone-treated RacET and control mice. Finerenone prevented left atrial dilatation (6.4±1.5 vs. 4.7±1.4mg, p=0.004) and left atrial fibrosis (17.8±3.1 vs. 12.8±3.1%, p=0.046) compared to vehicle-treated RacET mice. The prevalence of atrial arrhythmias at 5 months did not differ between finerenone- and vehicle-treated RacET mice. Conclusion Finerenone prevented from MR-mediated structural remodeling in cardiac fibroblasts and in RacET mice. These data demonstrate anti-fibrotic myocardial properties of finerenone.

Interaction of HSD11B1 and H6PD polymorphisms in subjects with type 2 diabetes are protective factors against obesity: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe enzyme 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD11B1) converts inactive cortisone to active cortisol in a process mediated by the enzyme hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PD). The generation of cortisol from this reaction may increase intra-abdominal cortisol levels and contribute to the physiopathogenesis of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). The relationship of HSD11B1 rs45487298 and H6PD rs6688832 polymorphisms with obesity and MetS was studied. We also studied how HSD11B1 abdominal subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) gene expression is related to body fat distribution.MethodsRates of obesity and MetS features were cross-sectionally analyzed according to these polymorphisms in 1006 Brazilian white patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Additionally, HSD11B1 expression was analyzed in VAT and SAT in a different cohort of 28 participants with and without obesity who underwent elective abdominal operations.ResultsAlthough polymorphisms of the two genes were not individually associated with MetS features, a synergistic effect was observed between both. Carriers of at least three minor alleles exhibited lower BMI compared to those with two or fewer minor alleles adjusting for gender and age (27.4 ± 4.9 vs. 29.3 ± 5.3 kg/m2; P = 0.005; mean ± SD). Obesity frequency was also lower in the first group (24.4% vs. 41.6%, OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.21–0.87; P = 0.019). In the second cohort of 28 subjects, HSD11B1 gene expression in VAT was inversely correlated with BMI (r = − 0.435, P = 0.034), waist circumference (r = − 0.584, P = 0.003) and waist-to-height ratio (r = − 0.526, P = 0.010).ConclusionsThese polymorphisms might interact in the protection against obesity in T2DM individuals. Obese individuals may have decreased intra-abdominal VAT HSD11B1 gene expression resulting in decreasing intra-abdominal cortisol levels as a compensatory mechanism against central and general adiposity.

The non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist finerenone prevents cardiac fibrotic remodeling

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) overactivation promotes cardiac fibrosis. We studied the ability of the non-steroidal MR antagonist finerenone to prevent fibrotic remodeling. In neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, finerenone prevented aldosterone-induced nuclear MR translocation. Treatment with finerenone decreased the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) (74 ± 15% of control, p = 0.005) and prevented aldosterone-induced upregulation of CTGF and lysyl oxidase (LOX) completely. Finerenone attenuated the upregulation of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß), which was induced by the Rac1 GTPase activator l-buthionine sulfoximine. Transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of Rac1 (RacET) showed increased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic (63.7 ± 8.0 vs. 93.8 ± 25.6 µl, p = 0.027) and end-systolic (28.0 ± 4.0 vs. 49.5 ± 16.7 µl, p = 0.014) volumes compared to wild-type FVBN control mice. Treatment of RacET mice with 100 ppm finerenone over 5 months prevented LV dilatation. Systolic and diastolic LV function did not differ between the three groups. RacET mice exhibited overactivation of MR and 11ß hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2. Both effects were reduced by finerenone (reduction about 36%, p = 0.030, and 40%, p = 0.032, respectively). RacET mice demonstrated overexpression of TGF-ß, CTGF, LOX, osteopontin as well as collagen and myocardial fibrosis in the left ventricle. In contrast, expression of these parameters did not differ between finerenone-treated RacET and control mice. Finerenone prevented left atrial dilatation (6.4 ± 1.5 vs. 4.7 ± 1.4 mg, p = 0.004) and left atrial fibrosis (17.8 ± 3.1 vs. 12.8 ± 3.1%, p = 0.046) compared to vehicle-treated RacET mice. In summary, finerenone prevented from MR-mediated structural remodeling in cardiac fibroblasts and in RacET mice. These data demonstrate anti-fibrotic myocardial effects of finerenone.

SAT-023 Cyclic Regulation of 11 Beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 in Endometriosis in Rhesus Macaques

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent disorder defined by endometrium-like tissue outside the uterine cavity that results in pelvic inflammation. Pro-inflammatory cytokines can increase 11 β -hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), which converts inactive cortisone into active cortisol. We hypothesized that cyclic changes in estrogen (estradiol; E2) and progesterone (P4) could regulate endometriotic 11β-HSD1. To test this, we assessed 11β-HSD1 expression in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with advanced endometriosis. Animal care was provided by our Department of Comparative Medicine and all work was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Endometrium and lesions were collected in the proliferative and secretory phase of the cycle (n=5 each). Control endometrium (endometriosis-free animals) was also collected in the proliferative (n=5) and secretory (n=4) phase. Mean (+SE) hormone levels were: 103+10 pg E2/ml and 0.2 + 0.04 ng P/ml in the proliferative phase; 43.8 + 9 pg E2/ml and 4.41 + 0.98 ng P/ml in the secretory phase. Tissues were frozen in liquid nitrogen for RNA isolation or fixed for histology. RNA was isolated in TRIzol and purified on Qiagen Quick columns with DNase digestion. Total RNA (1 µg) was reverse transcribed in the presence of random hexamer primers. TaqMan® quantitative real-time PCR (q-RT-PCR) was conducted for 11β-HSD1, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), ESR2 and progesterone receptor (PGR). Results are presented as ratio of target/ribosomal S10 RNA. Normal cyclic regulation of endometrial histology was observed. Histology confirmed the presence of endometrium-like tissue in all lesions. The highest expression of 11β-HSD1 was in proliferative phase endometriotic lesions (0.64 + 0.28). Levels were reduced in the secretory phase (0.13 + 0.02; P<0.01). 11β-HSD1 was minimal in the endometrium of control and endometriosis animals (proliferative phase control = 0.11 + 0.03; versus endometriotic animals = 0.11+ 0.06). There was a non-significant trend toward higher levels in the secretory phase (control = 0.24+ 0.06; endometriosis = 0.16 + 0.03). Normal cyclic levels of ESR1 and PGR were observed. For instance, levels of ESR1 (proliferative versus secretory) in the control endometrium, endometriosis endometrium, and lesions were as follows: 2.36 + 0.39 versus 0.43 + 0.21 (P<0.01), 1.41 + 0.22 versus 0.74 + 0.34 (P<0.01), and 1.05 + 0.35 versus 0.48 + 0.11(P<0.05); respectively. Levels of PGR followed the pattern of ESR1. In contrast, ESR2 transcript was higher in lesions compared to endometrium, and menstrual cycle-specific regulation was observed. We conclude that 11β-HSD1 is elevated in the proliferative phase resulting in increased intracellular cortisol. Elevated cortisol could promote estrogen dependent lesion growth by modulating inflammation. This work was supported by NIH/NICHD.

SUN-213 Hsd17b3 Knockout Mice Serve As A Model To Define Mechanisms Behind The Altered Endocrine Phenotype Of Patients With Hsd17b3 Mutations

Hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase type 3 (HSD17B3) is known to be the primary HSD17B enzyme converting androstenedione (A) to testosterone (T) in human testes, and thus, to be important for sexual maturation in boys and for reproductive health later in life. In particular, inherited HSD17B3 deficiency is a known cause of 46,XY disorder of sex development in humans, where affected males are born with outwardly female genitalia, but are virilized during puberty. In the present study, Hsd17b3 knockout mice (HSD17B3KO) were established and characterized. HSD17B3KO males were born apparently phenotypically normal, but presented signs of hypogonadism at adulthood, including delayed puberty, subfertility, a shortened anogenital distance and lowered weight of several androgen-sensitive tissues. The loss of HSD17B3 also affected the androgen levels both in the testes and in circulation. Compared with the wild-type mice, androstenedione concentration was increased 10-fold in the testes and 100-fold in the serum in adult HSD17B3KO animals, accompanied with 3-fold increase in serum testosterone. The serum testosterone/androstenedione ratio in the adult HSD17B3KO mice reduced 10-fold. We also observed that circulating LH was increased 40-fold in adult KO animals, with a 200-fold increase in testicular Lhcgr expression. In addition, several genes related to steroid and cholesterol biosynthesis were upregulated in the testes, those including Star, Cyp11a1, Cyp17a1, Cyp51, Nsdhl and Hsd17b7. Our results demonstrate that, similar to humans, HSD17B3 is essential for proper androgen homeostasis in adult mice. However, like in humans, other, still unknown, enzymes can partly compensate the HSD17B3 deficiency, resulting in high amounts of serum T and DHT at adulthood. The persisting hypogonadal phenotype in the presence of high LH levels and high serum T suggest that the lack of HSD17B3 results in a defect in the pituitary-gonadal feedback system, and reduced androgen sensitivity of the extragonadal androgen target tissues. The very similar endocrine disruption present in the adult mice and men with HSD17B3 deficiency provides us the possibility to use the HSD17B3KO mice as a model to further understand the mechanisms behind the altered endocrine phenotype of the patients carrying inactivating mutations at HSD17B3 gene, and to identify potential secondary complications caused by the disease later in the life.

Review of the Literature Examining the Association of Serum Uric Acid with Osteoporosis and Mechanistic Insights into Its Effect on Bone Metabolism.

Osteoporosis is a common bone disorder that increases susceptibility to fragility bone fractures. The clinical and public health repercussions of osteoporosis are huge due to the morbidity, mortality, and cost of medical care linked with fragility fractures. Clinical assessment of osteoporotic risk factors can help to identify candidates at an early stage that will benefit from medical intervention and potentially lowering the morbidity and mortality seen with fractures and complications. Given this, research is ongoing to evaluate the association of osteoporosis with some novel or less well-studied risk factors/bio-markers such as uric acid (UA). Uric acid's antioxidant activity has been proposed to be one of the factors responsible for increasing longevity and lowering rates of age-related cancers during primate evolution, the level of which increased markedly due to loss of uricase enzyme activity (mutational silencing). Accumulated evidence shows that oxidative stress is the fundamental mechanism of age-related bone loss and acts via enhancing osteoclastic activity and increasing bone resorption. Antioxidant substances such as ascorbic acid scavenge free radicals are positively related to bone health. Thus, it is hypothesized that uric acid holds bone-protective potential owing to its potent antioxidative property. Several correlation studies have been conducted globally to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid with bone mineral density and osteoporosis. Few pre-clinical studies have tried to investigate the interaction between uric acid and bone mineral density and reported important role played via Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2)/core-binding factor subunit alpha-1 (CBF-alpha-1), Wingless-related integration site (Wnt)-3a/β-catenin signaling pathway and 11β Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase type 1. In this review, the authors provided a comprehensive summary of the literature related to association studies reported in humans as well work done until date to understand the potential cellular and molecular mechanisms that interplay between uric acid and bone metabolism.

High Sodium Diet in 11β Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 CNS Knockout Mice Induces a Proinflammatory Phenotype of Perivascular Adipose Tissue and Alterations in Arterial Reactivity

RationaleWe previously generated CNS‐specific knockout of HSD2 (“brain” knockout; BKO), showing that the mice have inappropriate salt‐appetite and hypertension under a high sodium diet (Evans, Ivy et al. 2016) . Multiple peripheral components may contribute to this salt‐sensitivity and here we have focussed on the role of resistance arteries, which are surrounded by perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT), able to secrete vasoactive molecules (pro‐ or anticontractile). It is well known that PVAT interacts with arteries to regulate their function. Studies also show that high‐sodium diet stimulates adipocity and alters adipocyte function. Our aim is to study the impact of high sodium intake on PVAT gene expression and on arterial reactivity in BKO knockout mice.MethodsBKO mice were generated by crossing HSD2flx/flx with Nestin‐Cre mice; HSD2flx/flx littermates were used as wild‐type controls (WT). Mice were fed with high sodium diet (HSD; 3% Na) or normal sodium diet (NSD; 0.3% Na) for one week before being culled. The PVAT and the mesenteric arteries were dissected. The arterial reactivity to phenylephrine (Phe), acetyl choline (Ach) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) was studied by wire myography. In PVAT from mesenteric arteries, the expression of a panel of pro or anti inflammatory markers was measured by qRT‐PCR.ResultsOn normal sodium diet, There was no difference between genotypes in the PVAT expression of a panel of genes reporting inflammation (adipoq, lep, cybb, ptgs2, agtr1a, serpin, pparg, il‐6, ccl2, adgre1, vcam1, atp6ap2, nampt). High sodium diet demonstrated a significant (all P&lt;0.05) overexpression of the proinflammatory genes il‐6, ccl2, cybb and ptgs2 on BKO fed with HSD compared to WT; other genes were not different. In PVAT‐free mesenteric arteries, hsd11b2 gene expression was not different between WT and BKO mesenteric arteries and on normal sodium diet, arterial reactivity to Phe, Ach and SNP was not different between genotypes. In contrast, 7 days of high sodium intake revealed there were differences in arterial function between genotypes: there was a significant increase in sensitivity to Phe in the WT and a decrease of the maximum effect of SNP in the BKO mice.ConclusionThe high salt diet on BKO mice led to an overexpression in pro‐inflammatory gene in the PVAT surrounding mesenteric arteries and affected intrinsic arterial reactivity. The interaction between these two phenomena remains to be elucidated but it may contribute explanation to the increase of blood pressure of salt sensitive BKO mice.Support or Funding InformationThis work was funded by The British Heart Foundation (PG/16/98/32568)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

SiRNA-based breast cancer therapy by suppressing 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in an optimized xenograft cell and molecular biology model in vivo.

PurposeHormone-dependent breast cancer is the most common form of breast cancer, and inhibiting 17β-HSD1 can play an attractive role in decreasing estrogen and cancer cell proliferation. However, the majority of existing inhibitors have been developed from estrogens and inevitably possess residual estrogenicity. siRNA knockdown provides a highly specific way to block a targeted enzyme, being especially useful to avoid estrogenicity. Application of 17β-HSD1-siRNA in vivo is limited by the establishment of an animal model, as well as the potential nuclease activity in vivo. We tried to reveal the in vivo potential of 17β-HSD1-siRNA-based breast cancer therapy.Materials and methodsTo establish a competent animal model, daily subcutaneous injection of an estrone micellar aqueous solution was adopted to provide the substrate for estradiol biosynthesis. The effects of three different doses of estrone (0.1, 0.5, and 2.5 µg/kg/day) on tumor growth in T47D-17β-HSD1-inoculated group were investigated and compared with the animals inoculated with wild type T47D cells. To solve in vivo delivery problem of siRNA, “17β-HSD1-siRNA/LPD”, a PEGylated and modified liposome–polycation–DNA nanoparticle containing 17β-HSD1-siRNA was prepared by the thin film hydration method and postinsertion technology. Finally, “17β-HSD1-siRNA/LPD” was tested in the optimized model. Tumor growth and 17β-HSD1 expression were assessed.ResultsComparison with the untreated group revealed significant suppression of tumor growth in “17β-HSD1-siRNA/LPD”-treated group when HSD17B1 gene expression was knocked down.ConclusionThese findings showed promising in vivo assessments of 17β-HSD1-siRNA candidates. This is the first report of an in vivo application of siRNA for steroid-converting enzymes in a nude mouse model.

Highly Potent 17β-HSD2 Inhibitors with a Promising Pharmacokinetic Profile for Targeted Osteoporosis Therapy

Intracellular elevation of E2 levels in bone by inhibition of 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (17β-HSD2) without affecting systemic E2 levels is an attractive approach for a targeted therapy against osteoporosis, a disease which is characterized by loss of bone mineral density. Previously identified inhibitor A shows high potency on human and mouse 17β-HSD2, but poor pharmacokinetic properties when applied perorally in mice. A combinatorial chemistry approach was utilized to synthesize truncated derivatives of A, leading to highly potent compounds with activities in the low nanomolar to picomolar range. Compound 33, comparable to A in terms of inhibitor potency against both human and mouse enzymes, displays high in vitro metabolic stability in human and mouse liver S9 fraction as well as low toxicity and moderate hepatic CYP inhibition. Thus, compound 33 showed a highly improved peroral pharmacokinetic profile in comparison to A, making 33 a promising candidate for further development.

An inhibitor of 11-\u03b2 hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (PF915275) alleviates nonylphenol-induced hyperadrenalism and adiposity in rat and human cells

BackgroundNonylphenol (NP) is an environmental endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) detected in human cord blood and milk. NP exposure in developmental periods results in hyperadrenalism and increasing 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase I (11β-HSD1) activity in an adult rat model. Alleviating 11β-HSD1 activity is therefore a logical and common way to treat hyperadrenalism. PF915275 (PF; 4′-cyano-biphenyl-4-sulfonic acid (6-amino-pyridin-2-yl)-amide) is a selective inhibitor for 11β-HSD1. This study aimed to determine whether PF915275 could alleviate the hyperadrenalism induced by NP. In addition to a rat model, the effects of NP and PF915275 were measured in human preadipocytes.MethodsFor the in vivo rat model, female adult rats exposed to NP during the developmental period were divided into two treatment groups, with one receiving oral DMSO solution and the other receiving PF915275 once per day for 4 weeks. After the final treatment, the rats from each group were sacrificed for analysis. For the in vitro human model, human preadipocytes received 2 regimens of NP treatment. One treatment regimen occurred before differentiation (to mimic the sensitive developmental period; P exposure), and the other included continuous exposure from preadipocytes to fully differentiated adipocytes (to mimic the growing and adult periods, respectively; C exposure). Protein and RNA were extracted from rat tissues and the preadipocytes for western blot and real-time PCR analysis.ResultsIn the rat model, PF915275 alleviated NP-induced effects by interfering with adipogenesis pathways, including enhancing PPARα expression, decreasing PPARγ expression, and reducing both 11β-HSD1 protein and mRNA expression levels. Additionally, PF915275 reduced the effects of the adrenal corticoid synthesis pathway by reducing StAR expression and 11β-hydroxylase and aldosterone synthase activities. With short-term exposure, NP enhanced PPARγ and FASN mRNA expression levels and reduced PPARα expression, whereas PF915275 alleviated these effects. With C exposure, the NP-induced accumulation of intracellular lipids was reduced by PF915275 treatment, which was mediated by decreased PPARγ mRNA and protein expression levels and increased PPARα protein expression.ConclusionsThe effects of NP and PF915275 treatment in both rat and human cell models are similar. Rats may be an appropriate model to study the effects of NP in humans, especially during the developmental period.

Pentacyclic Triterpenes from Cecropia telenitida Can Function as Inhibitors of 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1.

Plant extracts from the genus Cecropia have been used by Latin-American traditional medicine to treat metabolic disorders and diabetes. Previous results have shown that roots of Cecropia telenitida contain pentacyclic triterpenes and these molecules display a hypoglycemic effect in an insulin-resistant murine model. The pharmacological target of these molecules, however, remains unknown. Several lines of evidence indicate that pentacyclic triterpenes inhibit the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme, which highlights the potential use of this type of natural product as phytotherapeutic or botanical dietary supplements. The main goal of the study was the evaluation of the inhibitory effect of Cecropia telenitida molecules on 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme activity. A pre-fractionated chemical library was obtained from the roots of Cecropia telenitida using several automated chromatography separation steps and a homogeneous time resolved fluorescence assay was used for the bio-guided isolation of inhibiting molecules. The screening of a chemical library consisting of 125 chemical purified fractions obtained from Cecropia telenitida roots identified one fraction displaying 82% inhibition of the formation of cortisol by the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme. Furthermore, a molecule displaying IC50 of 0.95 ± 0.09 µM was isolated from this purified fraction and structurally characterized, which confirms that a pentacyclic triterpene scaffold was responsible for the observed inhibition. Our results support the hypothesis that pentacyclic triterpene molecules from Cecropia telenitida can inhibit 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 enzyme activity. These findings highlight the potential ethnopharmacological use of plants from the genus Cecropia for the treatment of metabolic disorders and diabetes.

Lower Renal Function Is Associated With Derangement of 11-β Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase in Type 2 Diabetes.

ContextDerangement of 11-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and type 2 (11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2), which regulate intracellular cortisol production, has been suggested in both type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, activity of 11β-HSD enzymes in patients with T2D and CKD has never been assessed.ObjectivesTo compare 11β-HSD activities between patients with T2D and healthy controls, and assess whether in T2D, renal function is associated with 11β-HSD activities.DesignCross-sectional analysis in the Diabetes and Lifestyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT-1).SettingReferral center for T2D.PatientsPatient with T2D [n = 373, age 64 ± 9 years, 58% men, 26% of patients estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min·1.73 m2] and healthy controls (n = 275, age 53 ± 11 years, 48% men).Mean Outcome MeasureWe measured cortisol, cortisone, and metabolites [tetrahydrocortisol (THF), allo-THF (aTHF), and tetrahydrocortisone (THE)] in 24-hour urine samples. Whole body 11β-HSD and 11β-HSD2 activities were calculated as the urinary (THF + aTHF)/THE and cortisol/cortisone ratios, respectively.ResultsPatients with T2D had a higher (THF + aTHF)/THE ratio [1.02 (0.84 to 1.27) vs 0.94 (0.79 to 1.0), P < 0.001] and cortisol/cortisone ratio [0.70 (0.58 to 0.83) vs 0.63 (0.54 to 0.74), P < 0.001] than healthy controls. In T2D, lower eGFR was associated with a higher (THF + aTHF)/THE ratio (β = −0.35, P < 0.001), and a higher cortisol/cortisone ratio (β = −0.16, P = 0.001).ConclusionsIn this real-life secondary care setting of patients with T2D, 11β-HSD enzymes activities were shifted to higher intracellular cortisol production in T2D, which was further aggravated in patients with CKD. Prospective analyses are warranted to investigate causality of these associations.

Autonomous Purkinje cell axonal dystrophy causes ataxia in peroxisomal multifunctional protein-2 deficiency.

Peroxisomes play a crucial role in normal neurodevelopment and in the maintenance of the adult brain. This depends largely on intact peroxisomal β-oxidation given the similarities in pathologies between peroxisome biogenesis disorders and deficiency of multifunctional protein-2 (MFP2), the central enzyme of this pathway. Recently, adult patients diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia were shown to have mild mutations in the MFP2 gene, hydroxy-steroid dehydrogenase (17 beta) type 4 (HSD17B4). Cerebellar atrophy also develops in MFP2 deficient mice but the cellular origin of the degeneration is unexplored. In order to investigate whether peroxisomal β-oxidation is essential within Purkinje cells, the sole output neurons of the cerebellum, we generated and characterized a mouse model with Purkinje cell selective deletion of the MFP2 gene. We show that selective loss of MFP2 from mature cerebellar Purkinje neurons causes a late-onset motor phenotype and progressive Purkinje cell degeneration, thereby mimicking ataxia and cerebellar deterioration in patients with mild HSD17B4 mutations. We demonstrate that swellings on Purkinje cell axons coincide with ataxic behavior and precede neurodegeneration. Loss of Purkinje cells occurs in a characteristic banded pattern, proceeds in an anterior to posterior fashion and is accompanied by progressive astro- and microgliosis. These data prove that the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway is required within Purkinje neurons to maintain their axonal integrity, independent of glial dysfunction.

Mineralocorticoid hypertension and hypokalaemia induced by posaconazole.

SummaryWe describe severe hypokalaemia and hypertension due to a mineralocorticoid effect in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome taking posaconazole as antifungal prophylaxis. Two distinct mechanisms due to posaconazole are identified: inhibition of 11β hydroxylase leading to the accumulation of the mineralocorticoid hormone 11-deoxycorticosterone (DOC) and secondly, inhibition of 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11βHSD2), as demonstrated by an elevated serum cortisol-to-cortisone ratio. The effects were ameliorated by spironolactone. We also suggest that posaconazole may cause cortisol insufficiency. Patients taking posaconazole should therefore be monitored for hypokalaemia, hypertension and symptoms of hypocortisolaemia, at the onset of treatment and on a monthly basis. Treatment with mineralocorticoid antagonists (spironolactone or eplerenone), supplementation of glucocorticoids (e.g. hydrocortisone) or dose reduction or cessation of posaconazole should all be considered as management strategies.Learning points:Combined hypertension and hypokalaemia are suggestive of mineralocorticoid excess; further investigation is appropriate.If serum aldosterone is suppressed, then further investigation to assess for an alternative mineralocorticoid is appropriate, potentially using urine steroid profiling and/or serum steroid panelling.Posaconazole can cause both hypokalaemia and hypertension, and we propose that this is due to two mechanisms – both 11β hydroxylase inhibition and 11β HSD2 inhibition.Posaconazole treatment may lead to cortisol insufficiency, which may require treatment; however, in this clinical case, the effect was mild.First-line treatment of this presentation would likely be use of a mineralocorticoid antagonist.Patients taking posaconazole should be monitored for hypertension and hypokalaemia on initiation and monthly thereafter.

Assessment of tissue-specific cortisol activity with regard to degeneration of the suspensory ligaments in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE To identify signs of tissue-specific cortisol activity in samples of suspensory ligament (SL) and neck skin tissue from horses with and without pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). SAMPLE Suspensory ligament and neck skin tissue samples obtained from 26 euthanized horses with and without PPID. PROCEDURES Tissue samples were collected from 12 horses with and 14 horses without PPID (controls). Two control horses had received treatment with dexamethasone; data from those horses were not used in statistical analyses. The other 12 control horses were classified as old horses (≥ 14 years old) and young horses (≤ 9 years old). Standard histologic staining, staining for proteoglycan accumulation, and immunostaining of SL and neck skin tissue sections for glucocorticoid receptors, insulin, 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, and 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 were performed. Findings for horses with PPID were compared with findings for young and old horses without PPID. RESULTS Compared with findings for old and young control horses, there were significantly more cells stained for glucocorticoid receptors in SL samples and for 11 β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in SL and skin tissue samples from horses with PPID. Insulin could not be detected in any of the SL or skin tissue samples. Horses with PPID had evidence of SL degeneration with significantly increased proteoglycan accumulation. Neck skin tissue was found to be significantly thinner in PPID-affected horses than in young control horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that tissue-specific dysregulation of cortisol metabolism may contribute to the SL degeneration associated with PPID in horses.

HSD17B1 expression induces inflammation-aided rupture of mammary gland myoepithelium.

Hydroxysteroid (17-beta) dehydrogenase type 1 (HSD17B1) converts low-active estrogen estrone to highly active estradiol. Estradiol is necessary for normal postpubertal mammary gland development; however, elevated estradiol levels increase mammary tumorigenesis. To investigate the significance of the human HSD17B1 enzyme in the mammary gland, transgenic mice universally overexpressing human HSD17B1 were used (HSD17B1TG mice). Mammary glands obtained from HSD17B1TG females at different ages were investigated for morphology and histology, and HSD17B1 activity and estrogen receptor activation in mammary gland tissue were assessed. To study the significance of HSD17B1 enzyme expression locally in mammary gland tissue, HSD17B1-expressing mammary epithelium was transplanted into cleared mammary fat pads of wild-type females, and the effects on mammary gland estradiol production, epithelial cells and the myoepithelium were investigated. HSD17B1TG females showed increased estrone to estradiol conversion and estrogen-response element-driven estrogen receptor signaling in mammary gland tissue, and they showed extensive lobuloalveolar development that was further enhanced by age along with an increase in serum prolactin concentrations. At old age, HSD17B1TG females developed mammary cancers. Mammary-restricted HSD17B1 expression induced lesions at the sites of ducts and alveoli, accompanied by peri- and intraductal inflammation and disruption of the myoepithelial cell layer. The lesions were shown to be estrogen dependent, as treatment with an antiestrogen, ICI 182,780, starting when lesions were already established reversed the phenotype. These data elucidate the ability of human HSD17B1 to enhance estrogen action in the mammary gland in vivo and indicate that HSD17B1 is a factor inducing phenotypic alterations associated with mammary tumorigenesis.

The Expression of HSD17B12 Is Associated with COX-2 Expression and Is Increased in High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of hydroxysteroid (17β) dehydrogenase type 12 (HSD17B12), an enzyme involved in the synthesis of arachidonic acid (AA), in ovarian cancer, and to study its coexpression with its upstream and downstream enzymes in the AA pathway, namely elongation of very long chain fatty acids protein 5 (ELOVL5) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), respectively. Materials and Methods: Samples from benign and malignant ovarian neoplastic lesions were immunohistochemically stained with HSD17B12, ELOVL5, and COX-2. The staining intensities were quantified with the QuantCenter program, and the results were confirmed with visual inspection. Statistical significances were calculated with the Student t test, the Mann-Whitney test, linear regression, or ANOVA. Results: The expression of the HSD17B12, ELOVL5, and COX-2 enzymes increased according to the grade of the endometrioid ovarian adenocarcinomas. In contrast, in serous adenocarcinomas, staining with ELOVL5 was constantly weak, whereas the expression of HSD17B12 and COX-2 increased with the grade or FIGO stage of the cancer, respectively. Conclusions: The expression of HSD17B12 increased along with the severity of ovarian cancer, and the expression mimicked COX-2 expression and intensity. This further suggests the involvement of HSD17B12 in AA production, and its coexpression with COX-2 indicates a role for the enzyme in the increased prostaglandin production during ovarian cancer progression.