ECE2007 Symposia Advances in adrenal hypersecretory disorders (4 abstracts)
Autocrine-paracrine pathways in primary adrenal disorders
Hervé Lefebvre 1 , Vincent Contesse 1 , Dorthe Cartier 1 , Véronique Perraudin 1 , Catherine Delarue 1 , Hubert Vaudry 1 , Jérôme Bertherat 2 , Pierre-François Plouin 3 , Jean-Marc Kuhn 4 & Estelle Louiset 1
1INSERM U413, IFRMP23, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neuroendocrinology, University of Rouen, Mont Saint Aignan, France; 2Department of Endocrinology, CHU Cochin & Institut Cochin, INSERM U567, CNRS UMR8104, IFR 116, University of Paris V-René Descartes, Paris, France; 3Hypertension Unit, European Hospital Georges Pompidou, University of Paris V-René Descartes, Paris, France; 4Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Rouen, Rouen, France.
It is now well demonstrated that, in the human adrenal gland, aldosterone and cortisol productions are stimulated by autocrine/paracrine factors, like serotonin (5-HT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Several data indicate that these signals may also be involved in the regulation of corticosteroidogenesis in adrenocortical hyperplasias and tumors. 5-HT is detected in clusters of steroidogenic cells in aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenomas (APAs), and in both ACTH-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasias (AIMAHs) and adenomas responsible for Cushing’s syndrome. In these lesions, 5-HT stimulates steroidogenesis through activation of overexpressed eutopic 5-HT4 and/or ectopic 5-HT7 receptors. Immunohistochemical studies have shown the occurrence of AVP in a subpopulation of steroidogenic cells in APAs and AIMAHs. In APAs, AVP activates aldosterone production through the eutopic V1a receptor whereas its stimulatory effect on cortisol secretion from AIMAH tissues is mediated by both overexpressed V1a and/or ectopic V1b and V2 receptors. Interestingly, administration of V1a antagonists to patients with APA induces an aldosterone response to the upright stimulation test, indicating that, in these tumors, inhibition of the vasopressinergic tone sensitizes the tissues to the action of posture-responsive hormones. Finally, the presence of ACTH has been observed in AIMAH tissues and the ACTH receptor antagonist corticostatin inhibits basal cortisol secretion from AIMAH explants, demonstrating that glucocorticoid production is dependent on the paracrine action of intraadrenal ACTH in some primary adrenal disorders causing Cushing’s syndrome. In conclusion, autocrine/paracrine regulatory factors are produced within adrenocortical hyperplasias and tumors in which they play an important role in the control of steroidogenesis. These local factors may therefore represent promising targets for the treatment of primary adrenal disorders. This work was supported by INSERM, the University Hospital of Rouen, the Conseil Régional de Haute-Normandie and the COMETE network (PHRC AOM 02068).
Volume 14
Article tools
My recent searches
My recently viewed abstracts
Authors
Endocrine Abstracts
ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)
© Bioscientifica 2024 |
Privacy policy |
Cookie settings
BiosciAbstracts
Bioscientifica Abstracts is the gateway to a series of products that provide a permanent, citable record of abstracts for biomedical and life science conferences.
Find out more