Endogenous inhibitors (GALFs) of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isoforms 1 and 2: derivatives of adrenally produced corticosterone and cortisol

Two isoforms of 11β-HSD exist; 11β-HSD1 is bi-directional (the reductase usually being predominant) and 11β-HSD2 functions as a dehydrogenase, conferring kidney mineralocorticoid specificity. We have previously described endogenous substances in human urine, “glycyrrhetinic acid-like factors (GALFs)”, which like licorice, inhibit the bi-directional 11β-HSD1 enzyme as well as the dehydrogenase reaction of 11β-HSD2.

Many of the more potent GALFs are derived from two major families of adrenal steroids, corticosterone and cortisol. For example, 35-tetrahydro-corticosterone, its derivative, 35-tetrahydro-11β-hydroxy-progesterone (produced by 21-deoxygenation of corticosterone in intestinal flora); 35-tetrahydro-11β-hydroxy-testosterone (produced by side chain cleavage of cortisol); are potent inhibitors of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2-dehydrogenase, with IC₅₀'s in range 0.26–3.0 μM, whereas their 11-keto-35-tetrahydro-derivatives inhibit 11β-HSD1 reductase, with IC₅₀'s in range 0.7–0.8 μM (their 35β-derivatives being completely inactive).

Inhibitors of 11β-HSD2 increase local cortisol levels, permitting it to act as a mineralocorticoid in kidney. Inhibitors of 11β-HSD1 dehydrogenase/11β-HSD1 reductase serve to adjust the set point of local deactivation/reactivation of cortisol in vascular and other glucocorticoid target tissues, including adipose, vascular, adrenal tissue, and the eye. These adrenally derived 11-oxygenated C₂₁- and C₁₉-steroidal substances may serve as 11β-HSD1- or 11β-HSD2-GALFs. We conclude that adrenally derived products are likely regulators of local cortisol bioactivity in humans.     

Differential expression of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1 and 2 mRNA and glucocorticoid receptor protein during mouse embryonic development

Accumulating evidence suggests that the actions of glucocorticoids in target tissues are critically determined by the expression of not only the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) but also the glucocorticoid-metabolizing enzymes, known as 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1 and 2 (11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2). To gain insight into the role of glucocorticoids in fetal development, the expression patterns of the two distinct 11β-HSD isozymes and GR were studied in the mouse embryo from embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5, TERM = E19) to postnatal day 0.5 (P0.5) by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. 11β-HSD1 mRNA was detected in the heart as early as E12.5 and maintained thereafter. In the lung and liver, 11β-HSD1 mRNA was first detected between E14.5 and E16.5, increased to high levels towards term and maintained after birth. Relatively low levels of 11β-HSD1 mRNA were also detected in the kidney, adrenal glands and gastrointestinal tract at E18.5. However, the mRNA for 11β-HSD1 was undetectable in all other embryonic tissues including the brain. In contrast, kidney was the only organ that expressed appreciable levels of 11β-HSD2 mRNA during embryonic life. The level of 11β-HSD2 mRNA in the kidney increased dramatically in the newborn, which coincided with expression of 11β-HSD2 mRNA in the whisker follicle, tooth and salivary gland. Distinct from the profiles of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 mRNA, GR protein was detectable in all tissues at all ages studied except for the thymus, salivary gland, and bone. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that tissue- and developmentally-stage specific expression of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 as well as GR occurs in the developing mouse embryo, thus highlighting the importance of these two enzymes and GR in regulating glucocorticoid-mediated maturational events in specific tissues during murine embryonic development.     

11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases,cell proliferation and malignancy

The enzymes 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and 2 (11β-HSD1 and 2) have well-defined roles in the tissue-specific metabolism of glucocorticoids which underpin key endocrine mechanisms such as adipocyte differentiation (11β-HSD1) and mineralocorticoid action (11β-HSD2). However, in recent studies we have shown that the effects of 11β-HSD1 and 2 are not restricted to distinct tissue-specific hormonal functions. Studies of normal fetal and adult tissues, as well as their tumor equivalents, have shown a further dichotomy in 11β-HSD expression and activity. Specifically, most normal glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-rich tissues such as adipose tissue, bone, and pituitary cells express 11β-HSD1, whereas their fetal equivalents and tumors express 11β-HSD2. We have therefore postulated that the ability of 11β-HSD1 to generate cortisol acts as an autocrine anti-proliferative, pro-differentiation stimulus in normal adult tissues. In contrast, the cortisol-inactivating properties of 11β-HSD2 lead to pro-proliferative effects, particularly in tumors. This proposal is supported by experiments in vitro which have demonstrated divergent effects of 11β-HSD1 and 2 on cell proliferation. Current studies are aimed at (1) characterizing the underlying mechanisms for a ‘switch’ in 11β-HSD isozyme expression in tumors; (2) defining the molecular targets for glucocorticoids as regulators of cell proliferation; (3) evaluating the potential for targeting glucocorticoid metabolism as therapy for some cancers. These and other issues are discussed in the present review.     

Novel non-steroidal inhibitors of human 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) regulates glucocorticoid action at the pre-receptor stage by converting cortisone to cortisol. 11β-HSD1 is selectively expressed in many tissues including the liver and adipose tissue where metabolic events are important. Metabolic syndrome relates to a number of metabolic abnormalities and currently has a prevalence of >20% in adult Americans. 11β-HSD1 inhibitors are being investigated by many major pharmaceutical companies for type 2 diabetes and other abnormalities associated with metabolic syndrome. In this area of intense interest a number of structural types of 11β-HSD1 inhibitor have been identified. It is important to have an array of structural types as the physicochemical properties of the compounds will determine tissue distribution, HPA effects, and ultimately clinical utility. Here we report the discovery and synthesis of three structurally different series of novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitors that inhibit human 11β-HSD1 in the low micromolar range. Docking studies with 1–3 into the crystal structure of human 11β-HSD1 reveal how the molecules may interact with the enzyme and cofactor and give further scope for structure based drug design in the optimisation of these series.     

The human 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type II enzyme: Comparisons with other species and localization to the distal nephron

Effective glucocorticoid inactivation is currently thought to be an indispensable feature of mineralocorticoid target cells. The enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) inactivates glucocorticoids and prevents them from binding to the non-selective mineralocorticoid receptor. In the kidney it is the NAD dependent high affinity isoform (11β-HSD2) which is thought to endow specificity on the receptor. The recet cloning of the human, sheep and rabbit 11β-HSD2 enzymes permits a comparison of the enzyme from the three species. Human and rabbit enzymes are 87% identical and of similar length, while the human and sheep enzymes have only 75% identity. The last 12 residues in all three species were found to be highly divergent, but most of the ovine dishomology can be accounted for by the deletion of a single nucleotide toward the C-terminus of the protein resulting in a shift in reading frame generating a protein 27 residues longer than the human isoform. Numerous other deletions were also observed in this region of the sheep cDNA sequence. Furthermore, the rabbit cDNA also displayed a large degree of dishomology with the human sequence a short distance downstream from the termination codon. Conserved overlapping cytoplasmic translocation signals were observed in all three species, suggesting a topology whereby the enzyme is anchored into the endoplasmic reticulum by multiple hydrophobic regions in the N-terminus and the bulk of the 11β-HSD2 peptide is sited in the cytoplasm. A polyclonal antibody generated against the C-terminus of human 11β-HSD2 was used to localize the enzyme within the kidney. A high level of immunoreactivity was observed in distal tubules and collecting ducts, localizing the enzyme to the same part of the nephron as the mineralocorticoid receptor. Moderate levels of staining were also seen in vascular smooth muscle cells. These results support the notion that 11β-HSD2 is an autocrine protector of the mineralocorticoid receptor and that it plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostatic mechanisms.     

Lack of effect of nicotine or ethanol on the activity of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2

Low birth weight in combination with a large placenta predicts human hypertension. The pathophysiological link remains unclear, but glucocorticoid excess impairs fetal growth and leads to offspring hypertension. A key controller of fetal glucocorticoid exposure and local tissue availability is 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2). The activity of placental 11β-HSD2 correlates with fetal growth in animals and humans. Ethanol abuse and smoking are known to retard fetal growth which may relate to altered glucocorticoid action or dynamics. This study has examined whether nicotine or ethanol modulate glucocorticoid action in the placenta or fetus by inhibiting 11β-HSD2, using clonal cell cultures, freshly isolated dually perfused intact human placentas and placentas from in vivo treated rats. No significant effect on the activity of 11β-HSD2 by pathophysiologically relevant nicotine or ethanol concentrations was observed. The mechanism of action of nicotine and ethanol relevant to reduced fetal growth requires further study.     

Expression and characterization of isoforms of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ-isomerase in the hamster

The enzyme 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ^5→4-isomerase (3β-HSD) is essential for the production of all classes of steroid hormones. Multiple isozymes of this enzyme have been demonstrated in the kidney and liver of both the rat and the mouse, although the function of the enzyme in these tissues is unknown. We have characterized three isozymes of 3β-HSD expressed in various tissues of the hamster. Both western and northern blot analyses demonstrated very high levels of 3β-HSD in the adrenal, kidney and male liver. Conversely, there were extremely low levels of enzyme expression in the female liver. cDNA libraries prepared from RNA isolated from hamster adrenal, kidney and liver were screened with a full-length cDNA encoding human type 1 3β-HSD. Separate cDNAs encoding three isoforms of 3β-HSD were isolated from these libraries. To examine the properties of the isoforms, the cDNAs were ligated into expression vectors for over-expression in 293 human fetal kidney cells. The type 1 isoform, isolated from an adrenal cDNA library, was identified as a high-affinity 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. A separate isoform, designated type 2, was isolated from the kidney, and this was also a high-affinity dehydrogenase/isomerase. Two cDNAs were isolated from the liver, one identical in sequence to type 2 of the kidney, and a distinct cDNA encoding an isoform designated type 3. The type 3 3β-HSD possessed no steroid dehydrogenase activity but was found to function as a 3-ketosteroid reductase. Thus male hamster liver expresses a high-affinity 3β-HSD (type 2) and a 3-ketosteroid reductase (type 3), whereas the kidney of both sexes express the type 2 3β-HSD isoform. These differ from the type 1 3β-HSD expressed in the adrenal cortex.     

Progestin regulation of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expression in T-47D human breast cancer cells

This study examined the enzymatic characteristics and steroid regulation of the glucocorticoid-metabolizing enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) in the human breast cancer cell line T-47D. In cell homogenates, exogenous NAD significantly increased the conversion of corticosterone to 11-dehydrocorticosterone, while NADP was ineffective. There was no conversion of 11-dehydrocorticosterone to corticosterone either with NADH or NADPH demonstrating the lack of reductase activity. In keeping with these results, RT-PCR analysis indicated a mRNA for 11β-HSD2 in T-47D cells, while 11β-HSD1 mRNA levels were undetectable. In T-47D cells treated for 24 h with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), 11β-HSD catalytic activity was elevated 11-fold, while estrone (E₁), estradiol (E₂) and the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX) were ineffective. The antiprogestin mifepristone (RU486) acted as a pure antagonist of the progestin-enhanced 11β-HSD activity, but did not exert any agonistic effects of its own. In addition, RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that MPA was a potent inducer of 11β-HSD2 gene expression, increasing the steady-state levels of 11β-HSD2 mRNA. Taken together, these results demonstrate that 11β-HSD2 is the 11β-HSD isoform expressed by T-47D cells under steady-state conditions and suggest the existence of a previously undocumented mechanism of action of progestins in breast cancer cells.     

Lack of renal 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 at birth, a targeted temporal window for neonatal glucocorticoid action in human and mice

Background

Glucocorticoid hormones play a major role in fetal organ maturation. Yet, excessive glucocorticoid exposure in utero can result in a variety of detrimental effects, such as growth retardation and increased susceptibility to the development of hypertension. To protect the fetus, maternal glucocorticoids are metabolized into inactive compounds by placental 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type2 (11βHSD2). This enzyme is also expressed in the kidney, where it prevents illicit occupation of the mineralocorticoid receptor by glucocorticoids. We investigated the role of renal 11βHSD2 in the control of neonatal glucocorticoid metabolism in the human and mouse.

Methods

Cortisol (F) and cortisone (E) concentrations were measured in maternal plasma, umbilical cord blood and human newborn urine using HPLC. 11βHSD2 activity was indirectly assessed by comparing the F/E ratio between maternal and neonatal plasma (placental activity) and between plasma and urine in newborns (renal activity). Direct measurement of renal 11βHSD2 activity was subsequently evaluated in mice at various developmental stages. Renal 11βHSD2 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry during the perinatal period in both species.

Results

We demonstrate that, at variance with placental 11βHSD2 activity, renal 11βHSD2 activity is weak in newborn human and mouse and correlates with low renal mRNA levels and absence of detectable 11βHSD2 protein.

Conclusions

We provide evidence for a weak or absent expression of neonatal renal 11βHSD2 that is conserved among species. This temporal and tissue-specific 11βHSD2 expression could represent a physiological window for glucocorticoid action yet may constitute an important predictive factor for adverse outcomes of glucocorticoid excess through fetal programming.     

Disruption of glucocorticoid action by environmental chemicals: potential mechanisms and relevance

Glucocorticoids play an essential role in the regulation of key physiological processes, including immunomodulation, brain function, energy metabolism, electrolyte balance and blood pressure. Exposure to naturally occurring compounds or industrial chemicals that impair glucocorticoid action may contribute to the increasing incidence of cognitive deficits, immune disorders and metabolic diseases. Potentially, “glucocorticoid disruptors” can interfere with various steps of hormone action, e.g. hormone synthesis, binding to plasma proteins, delivery to target cells, pre-receptor regulation of the ratio of active versus inactive hormones, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) function, or export and degradation of glucocorticoids. Several recent studies indicate that such chemicals exist and that some of them can cause multiple toxic effects by interfering with different steps of hormone action. For example, increasing evidence suggests that organotins disturb glucocorticoid action by altering the function of factors that regulate the expression of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) pre-receptor enzymes, by direct inhibition of 11β-HSD2-dependent inactivation of glucocorticoids, and by blocking GR activation. These observations emphasize on the complexity of the toxic effects caused by such compounds and on the need of suitable test systems to assess their effects on each relevant step.     

Molecular characterization of mouse 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase IV

17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17β-HSD) catalyze the conversion of estrogens and androgens at the C17 position. The 17β-HSD type I, II, III and IV share less than 25% amino acid similarity. The human and porcine 17β-HSD IV reveal a three-domain structure unknown among other dehydrogenases. The N-terminal domains resemble the short chain alcohol dehydrogenase family while the central parts are related to the C-terminal parts of enzymes involved in peroxisomal β-oxidation of fatty acids and the C-terminal domains are similar to sterol carrier protein 2. We describe the cloning of the mouse 17β-HSD IV cDNA and the expression of its mRNA. A probe derived from the human 17β-HSD IV was used to isolate a 2.5 kb mouse cDNA encoding for a protein of 735 amino acids showing 85 and 81% similarity with human and porcine 17β-HSD IV, respectively. The calculated molecular mass of the mouse enzyme amounts to 79,524 Da. The mRNA for 17β-HSD IV is a single species of about 3 kb, present in a multitude of tissues and expressed at high levels in liver and kidney, and at low levels in brain and spleen. The cloning and molecular characterization of murine, human and porcine 17β-HSD IV adds to the complexity of steroid synthesis and metabolism. The multitude of enzymes acting at C17 might be necessary for a precise control of hormone levels.     

Regulation of expression of the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases of human placenta and fetal adrenal

The appropriate expression of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/Δ^5→4-isomerase (3β-HSD) is vital for mammalian reproduction, fetal growth and life maintenance. Several isoforms of 3β-HSD, the products of separate genes, have been identified in various species including man. Current investigations are targeted toward defining the processes that regulate the levels of specific isoforms in various steroidogenic tissues of man. High levels of expression of 3β-HSD were observed in placental tissues. It has been generally considered that the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblastic cells are the principal sites of 3β-HSD expression and, moreover, that 3β-HSD expression is intimately associated with cyclic AMP-promoted formation of syncytia. Herein we report the presence of 3β-HSD immunoreactive and mRNA species in uninucleate cytotrophoblasts in the chorion laeve, similar to that in syncytia but not cytotrophoblast placenta. In vitro, 3β-HSD levels in chorion laeve cytotrophoblasts were not increased with time nor after treatment with adenylate cyclase activators, whereas villous cytotrophoblasts spontaneously demonstrated progressive, increased 3β-HSD expression. Moreover, 3β-HSD synthesis appeared to precede morphologic syncytial formation. Thus high steroidogenic enzyme expression in placenta is not necessarily closely linked to formation of syncytia. Both Western immunoblot and enzymic activity analyses also indicated that the 3β-HSD expressed in these cytotrophoblastic populations was the 3β-HSD type I gene product (M_r, 45K) and not 3β-HSD type II (M_r, 44K) expressed in fetal testis. In cultures of fetal zone and definitive zone cell of human fetal adrenal, 3β-HSD expression was not detected until ACTH was added. ACTH, likely acting in a cyclic AMP-dependent process, induced 3β-HSD type II activity and mRNA expression. The higher level of 3β-HSD mRNA in definitive zone compared with fetal zone cells was associated with parallel increases in cortisol secretion relative to dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate formation.     

Regulation of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 2 by IGF-1 in mice

Two isoforms of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2) play an important role in regulation of glucocorticoid corticosterone (CORT, the active form in rodents) by the interconversion between CORT and 11-dehydrocorticosterone (11DHC, the biologically inert form). 11β-HSD1 is an NADP+/NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase which is mainly expressed in liver and kidney, while 11β-HSD2 is an NAD+-dependent oxidase which is predominantly expressed in kidney. The regulation of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 mRNA (Hsd11b1 and Hsd11b2) levels and their activities by IGF-1 was performed in liver, kidney, and testis of IGF-1 knockout male mice. Real-time PCR showed that Hsd11b1 in liver was decreased while Hsd11b2 mRNA level was decreased in kidney of IGF-1 null mice. 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 activities fluctuated with the changes of their respective Hsd11b1 or Hsd11b2 mRNA levels. In conclusion, IGF-I tissue-specifically regulates Hsd11b1 and Hsd11b2 expression.     

Pre-receptorial regulation of steroid hormones in bone cells: insights on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis

In the past decades, concern on glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis has increased with the widespread use of exogenous glucocorticoids (GC). Mature bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) are considered to be the principal site of action of GC in the skeleton. More likely, it is the entire cellular and molecular network surrounding these cells that is targeted by pharmacological doses of GC. Not only osteoblast and osteocyte metabolism, but the whole differentiation of mesenchymal stem cell toward the osteoblast lineage has been proven to be sensitive to GC. The effects of GC on this process are different according to the stage of differentiation of bone cell precursors. The presence of intact GC signalling is crucial for normal bone development and physiology, as opposed to the detrimental effect of high dose exposure. Both the physiological and pharmacological effects of GC are locally modulated by the activity of the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (HSD1) that acts primarily as a glucocorticoid activator converting the inactive glucocorticoid (cortisone) into the active hormone (cortisol). We reviewed the metabolic and differentiation pathways controlled by GC signalling. These data have been merged with the recent evidences that 11β-HSD1 exert an important role by regulating the vulnerability of bone cells to GC. The different kinetics of 11β-HSD1 at various stage of differentiation and the GC-dependency of enzymatic activity have been presented.     

11β-hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 1 in Adipocytes: Expression is Differentiation-dependent and Hormonally Regulated

11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD-1) catalyses the reversible metabolism of physiological glucocorticoids (cortisol, corticosterone) to inactive metabolites (cortisone, 11-dehydrocorticosterone), thus regulating glucocorticoid access to receptors. 11β-HSD-1 expression is regulated during development and by hormones in a tissue specific manner. The enzyme is highly expressed in liver, where it may influence glucocorticoid action on fuel metabolism, processes also important in adipose tissue. Here we show that 11β-HSD-1 is expressed in white adipose tissue, in both the adipocyte and stromal/vascular compartments, and in the adipocyte cell lines 3T3-F442A and 3T3-L1. In these cells, 11β-HSD-1 expression is induced upon differentiation into adipocytes and is characteristic of a ‘late differentiation’ gene, with maximal expression 6-8 days after confluence is reached. In intact 3T3-F442A adipocytes the enzyme direction is predominantly 11β-reduction, activating inert glucocorticoids. The expression of 11β-HSD-1 mRNA is altered in fully differentiated 3T3-F442A adipocytes treated with insulin, dexamethasone or a combination of the hormones, in an identical manner to glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) mRNA (encoding a key enzyme in triglyceride synthesis and a well-characterised marker of adipocyte differentiation). The demonstration of 11β-HSD-1 expression in adipocytes and its predominant reductase activity in intact 3T3-F442A adipocytes suggests that 11β-HSD-1 may play an important role in potentiating glucocorticoid action in these cells. 3T3-F442A and 3T3-L1 represent useful model systems in which to examine the factors which regulate 11β-HSD-1 gene expression and the role of 11β-HSD-1 in modulating glucocorticoid action in adipose tissue.     

The 11beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 exists as an inactive dimer

The 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase types 1 and 2 enzymes (11beta-HSD1 and 11beta-HSD2), modulate glucocorticoid occupation of the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors by interconverting corticosterone and cortisol to the inactive metabolites 11-dehydrocorticosterone and cortisone within the target cells. The NAD(+)-dependent 11-HSD 2 in the kidney inactivates corticosterone and cortisol, allowing aldosterone, which is not metabolized, access to the receptor. Studies of the kinetics of 11-HSD 2 activity in the rat kidney have produced inconsistent results. Western blots done in the absence of the reducing agent beta-mercaptoethanol showed two bands with approximate MW of 40 and 80 kDa. When beta-mercaptoethanol was used, only the 40 kDa was detected, indicating that under non-denaturing conditions a significant proportion of the 11beta-HSD 2 exists as a dimer. NAD(+)-dependent conversion of 3H-corticosterone by 20 microg of microsomal protein increased approximately 10 fold with the addition of 5 mM DTT concentration. NADP(+)-dependent activity with 20 microg of microsomal protein was very low and did not change significantly when using DTT. In the presence of DTT, the predominant 11-HSD activity in the rat kidney is NAD(+)-dependent with a K(m) of 15.1 nM, similar to that of the cloned and expressed enzyme. These data suggest that dimerization and subsequent enzyme inactivation occur when protocols promoting oxidation of this protein are used.     

Placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and the programming of hypertension

Excessive foetal exposure to glucocorticoids retards growth and “programmes” adult hypertension in rats. Placental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD), which catalyses the conversion of corticosterone and cortisol to inert 11 keto-products, normally protects the foetus from excess maternal glucocorticoids. In both rats and humans there is considerable natural variation in placental 11β-HSD, and enzyme activity correlates with birth weight. Moreover, inhibition of placental 11β-HSD in the rat reduces birth weight and produces hypertensive adult offspring, many months after prenatal treatment with enzyme inhibitors; these effects are dependent upon maternal adrenal products. These data suggest that placental 11β-HSD, by regulating foetal exposure to maternal glucocorticoids, crucially determines foeto-placental growth and the programming of hypertension. Maternal protein restriction during pregnancy also produces hypertensive offspring and selectively attenuates placental 11β-HSD activity. Thus, deficiency of the placental barrier to maternal glucocorticoids may represent a common pathway between the maternal environment and foeto-placental programming of later disease. These data may, at least in part, explain the human epidemiological observations linking early life events to the risk of subsequent hypertension. The recent characterization, purification and cDNA cloning of a distinct human placental 11β-HSD (type 2) will aid the further study of these intriguing findings.     

Glycyrrhizic acid suppresses type 2 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expression in vivo

Licorice-derivatives such as glycyrrhizic acid (GA) competitively inhibit 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase(11β-HSD) type 2 (11-HSD2) enzymatic activity, and chronic clinical use often results in pseudoaldosteronism. Since the effect of GA on 11-HSD2 expression remains unknown, we undertook in vivo and in vitro studies. Male Wistar rats were given 30, 60 or 120 mg/kg of GA twice a day for 2 weeks. Plasma corticosterone was decreased in those given the 120 mg dose, while urinary corticosterone excretion was increased in those given the 30 and 60 mg doses but decreased in those given 120 mg GA. NAD⁺-dependent dehydrogenase activity in kidney microsomal fraction was decreased in animals receiving doses of 60 and 120 mg GA. The 11-HSD2 protein and mRNA levels were decreased in those given 120 mg GA. In contrast, in vitro studies using mouse kidney M1 cells revealed that 24 h treatment with glycyrrhetinic acid did not affect the 11-HSD2 mRNA expression levels. Thus, in addition to its role as a competitive inhibitor of 11-HSD2, the chronic high dose of GA suppresses mRNA and protein expression of 11-HSD2 possibly via indirect mechanisms. These effects may explain the prolonged symptoms after cessation of GA administration in some pseudoaldosteronism patients.