Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2012) 29 P38

ICEECE2012 Poster Presentations Adrenal cortex (113 abstracts)

Expression of kisspeptin and its receptor in aldosterone-producing adrenal adenomas

K. Takahashi 1 , I. Kato 1 , H. Nishiyama 1 , K. Ohba 1 , K. Kaneko 1 , R. Morimoto 1 , F. Satoh 1 , K. Totsune 2 & O. Murakami 3


1Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan; 2Tohoku Fukushi University, Sendai, Japan; 3Hayasaka Aisei-kai Hospital, Sendai, Japan.


Kisspeptins are the product of the KiSS-1 gene, a metastasis suppressor gene, and play important physiological roles in the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis and reproduction. It was reported that kisspeptin-10 stimulated the aldosterone synthesis in H295R human adrenal cancer cells (Nakamura et al., 2007). However, expression of kisspeptin and its receptor has not been studied in tumor tissues of adrenocortical tumors. The aim of the present study was therefore to clarify expression of kisspeptin and its receptor in tumor tissues of adrenocortical tumors, particularly aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs). Immunocytochemisty of kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor was performed by the ABP method in tumor tissues of adrenal tumors obtained at surgery, including 31 APAs. The antiserum against human kisspeptin-10 was raised in a rabbit (Takahashi et al., J Mol Neurosci 41:138;2010). The antibody against kisspeptin receptor (GPR54) was obtained from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (sc-48220). Kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor were immunostained in tumor tissues of all cases of APAs examined. Kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor were also immunostained in normal adrenal medulla of attached adrenals in all 19 cases examined, and very weakly in normal adrenal cortex of 6 out of 19 cases examined. Furthermore, positive immunostaining of kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor was observed in other types of adrenal tumors, including cortisol-producing adenomas, non-functioning adenomas and adrenal cancers. Western blot analysis confirmed a band of 43 kDa representing kisspeptin receptor in tumor tissue extracts of the adrenal tumors. The present study has shown expression of kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor in tumor tissues of adrenal tumors including APAs, raising the possibility that kisspeptins act as autocrine or paracrine regulators for adrenal hormone synthesis and proliferation of adrenal tumor cells.

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 work was supported, however funding details unavailable.

Volume 29

15th International & 14th European Congress of Endocrinology

European Society of Endocrinology 

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