Steroid control of steroidogenesis in isolated adrenocortical cells: molecular and species specificity

The molecular and species specificity of glucocorticoid suppression of corticosteroidogenesis was investigated in isolated adrenocortical cells. Trypsin-isolated cells from male rat, domestic fowl and bovine adrenal glands were incubated with or without steroidogenic agents and with or without steroids. Glucocorticoids were measured by radioimmunoassay or fluorometric assay after 1-2 h incubation. Glucocorticoids suppressed ACTH-induced steroidogenesis of isolated rat cells with the following relative potencies: corticosterone greater than cortisol = cortisone greater than dexamethasone. The mineralocorticoid, aldosterone did not affect steroidogenesis. Suppression by glucocorticoids was acute (within 1-2 h), and varied directly with the glucocorticoid concentration. Testosterone also suppressed ACTH-induced steroidogenesis. Glucocorticoid-type steroids have equivalent suppressive potencies, thus suggesting that these steroids may induce suppression at least partly by a common mechanism. Although corticosterone caused the greatest suppression, testosterone was more potent. The steroid specificity of suppression of cyclic AMP (cAMP)-induced and ACTH-induced steroidogenesis were similar, suggesting that suppression is not solely the result of interference with ACTH receptor function or the induction of adenylate cyclase activity. Exogenous glucocorticoids also suppressed ACTH-induced steroidogenesis of cells isolated from domestic fowl and beef adrenal glands, thus suggesting that this observed suppression may be a general mechanism of adrenocortical cell autoregulation.