Effect of adrenocorticotrophin on cortisol and androstenedione secretion from dispersed cells of guinea-pig adrenal zonae fasciculata and reticularis

Abstract

ABSTRACT We have studied cortisol and androstenedione secretion by dispersed cells of the outer zona fasciculata (ZF) plus zona glomerulosa, and the inner zona reticularis (ZR) plus medulla of the guinea-pig adrenal. The ZF and ZR were microdissected apart, the cells dispersed and incubated (200 000 cells/ml) for 90 min in the presence of adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH; 500 ng/l), dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP; 1 mmol/l), pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol and 21-deoxycortisol. The steroid concentrations were 5–25 μmol/l. Cortisol secretion was assayed by radioimmunoassay. There was no detectable cortisol secretion ( < 50 nmol/l) from the ZR in the controls (no additive) or after dbcAMP stimulation. Adrenocorticotrophin-stimulated cortisol secretion was also low (range < 50–340 nmol/l). In contrast the ZF secreted 177–379 (control), 828–2052 (dbcAMP) and 2863–9735 (ACTH) nmol cortisol/l. There was no detectable (i.e. < 2 nmol/l) cAMP production by ZR or ZF either basally (no ACTH) or after ACTH stimulation (500 ng/l). Challenge of the ZR cells with each cortisol precursor steroid (5 μmol/l) increased (P < 0·05) cortisol secretion over that seen with the corresponding basal and ACTH-stimulated controls. Thus pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol and 21-deoxycortisol (converted directly to cortisol by 21-hydroxylase) gave rise to (mean ± s.d., n = 4) 406 ± 86, 680 ± 180, 1307 ± 111, 1141 ± 234 and 3160 ± 419 nmol cortisol/l respectively. The corresponding figures for the ZF prepared from the same adrenal cortex were 3919 ± 309, 4122 ± 97, 5766 ± 615, 5035 ± 260 and 6954 ± 755 nmol cortisol/l. With pregnenolone (25 μmol/l), cortisol secretion increased to 7847 ± 1424 (ZR) and 12880 ± 982 nmol/l (ZF), a ZR:ZF ratio of 0·6 compared with 0·1 for pregnenolone at 5 μmol/l. Androstenedione was secreted in the basal state by both ZF and ZR in similar quantities, i.e. 3·7 ± 0·3 and 3·7 ± 0·4 nmol/l (n = 9 and 14 respectively). Both cell types were ACTH sensitive, with androstenedione secretion increasing to 28 ± 4·8 (ZF) and 12·5 ± 0·9 (ZR) nmol/l. There was a direct correlation (r = 0·924, P < 0·05) between total adrenal weight and body weight, between the percentage ZR in the cortex and adrenal weight (r = 0·96, P < 0·05) and between the percentage ZR and body weight (r = 0·981, P< 0·05). In a mature animal (800–1000 g) the ZR may occupy > 66% of the adrenal cortex. The mean diameters of cells from the ZF and ZR were 21 and 25 μm respectively. J. Endocr. (1986) 109, 399–404