Endocrine Abstracts

Effects of sugar cane extract (SCE) on the adrenal corticosterone and progesterone secretion in male rats were investigated using an in vitro cell culture system. Three-week old male rats were fed SCE free diet or 2.16% SCE diet for 7 weeks. After 7 weeks of treatment, animals were decapitated, and adrenal cells were cultured in the absence or presence of rat ACTH (10–15 to 10-10 M) for 4 hours. Body and adrenal gland weight, plasma concentration of ACTH, corticosterone, progesterone, testosterone and basal mRNAs levels of StAR, 5 steroidogenic enzymes (P450Scc, 3β-HSD, P450c21, P450c11, 17βHSD) and ACTH receptor (MC-2) in adrenal gland were measured. There were no differences in body and adrenal gland weight between two groups. The plasma concentrations of ACTH, corticosterone progesterone were significantly high in the SCE supplemented group as compared with the control group. Adrenal cells in the SCE supplemented rat exhibited significantly higher basal level of corticosterone and progesterone than the control rat. The response of ACTH on corticosterone and progesterone release from adrenal cells was significantly higher in the SCE supplemented rat than the control rat. Basal level of P450c21 mRNA in adrenal glands was significantly higher in the SCE supplemented rats than the control rats, whereas the basal mRNAs levels of StAR, P450Scc and P450c11 in the SCE supplemented rat were significantly low as compared with the control rat. The level of 3β-HSD was non-significantly higher in the SCE supplemented rat than the control rat. In addition, the level of MC-2 mRNA was significantly high as compared with the control rat. These results clearly demonstrated that SCE supplementation stimulates basal and ACTH stimulated secretion of corticosterone and progesterone from adrenal cells in male rats. These results also suggest that stimulatory effect of SCE on adrenal steroidogenesis may result in resistance against stress.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.