Endocrine Abstracts

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulphate ester DHEAS are neurosteroids with potential effects on neurogenesis, neuronal survival and neuronal stem cells proliferation. DHEA is produced by the inner adrenocortical zone, which is in direct contact to the adrenomedullary chromaffin. Unlike the closely related sympathetic neurons, chromaffin cells are able to proliferate throughout the life span. The aim of the present study was to examine in vitro the effect of DHEA ...

There is now clear evidence that diverse corticotropic factors released by chromaffin cells, by nerve fibers innervating the adrenal cortex, by cells of the immune system and/or by the endothelium are involved in the local control of adrenocortical cell activity. The adrenal gland of lower vertebrates, notably amphibians, in which cortical and chromaffin cells are closely entangled, is a very suitable model to investigate the paracrine regulation of adrenocortical cells. The e...