Endocrine Abstracts

The human adrenal H295R cell line expresses ACTH receptors (MC2R). However, it is generally accepted that ACTH treatment of these cells has little effect on steroid secretion and so forskolin is routinely used to mimic the actions of ACTH. It is unclear whether the ACTH receptors on these cells are functional. The present study was designed to investigate signalling pathways in H295R cells and their activation by ACTH.Adrenal H295R cells were cultured in...

Proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) and adrenomedullin are hypotensive peptides that are cleaved from the proadrenomedullin peptide. Adrenomedullin can act via the complex calcitonin receptor like receptor (CRLR) and receptor activity modifying protein (RAMP) 2 or the putative receptor, CRLR/RAMP3 complex. CGRP (Calcitonin gene related peptide) binding is conferred by the CRLR/RAMP1 complex. This study was carried out to see how adrenomedullin and PAMP affected the ...

THE REGULATION OF ADRENOMEDULLIN AND PROADRENOMEDULLIN N-TERMINAL 20 PEPTIDE IN THE ADRENAL GLAND: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADRENOCORTICAL CELLS AND CHROMAFFIN CELLS.Vakharia K, Hinson JP.Department of Endocrinology, Lab 1.2 Dominion House, Queen Mary University of London, London E, UK.It has been established that the adrenomedullin gene is expressed in the adrenal cortex and adrenal medulla, and that both adre...

Adrenomedullin (AM) was discovered in the adrenal gland in 1993 by Kitamura and colleagues. Since then it has been found in many other tissues including in skin. We know from our recent studies that AM regulates (in vitro) the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, known to be involved in tissue repair, from endothelial and skin cells. The present study was designed to establish whether AM levels in skin were increased following wounding in vivo.A we...

Previous data from this laboratory has shown that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a direct stimulant of adrenal cortisol secretion. The present study was designed to determine the mechanism of this effect.The human adrenocortical H295R cell line was used in these studies. Cells were incubated in the presence of varying concentrations of LPS (10 to 1000ng/ml) for periods up to 24 hours. PGE2 and cortisol were measured by RIA. Indomethacin and the specific COX...

Adrenomedullin and pro-adrenomedullin N terminal 20 peptide (PAMP) are multi-functional peptides that are cleaved from a precursor peptide named proadrenomedullin. It has been well documented that adrenomedullin has an effect on cell growth and differentiation in many cell types. However, the effects of PAMP on cell growth still remain to be elucidated.Using the human endothelial cell line (HMEC-1) and human adrenocortical cell line (H295R), cells were p...

Cutaneous injury triggers a complex series of biological processes which lead to tissue repair and comprise the mechanism termed wound healing. Various growth factors and cytokines are involved in the multiple stages of wound healing. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) is secreted by skin fibroblasts and acts locally to induce cell proliferation. During wound healing KGF's role is as a re-epithelialising agent working in conjunction with pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interl...

Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide directly stimulates Cortisol Secretion by Human Adrenal CellsK. Vakharia, D Renshaw, J.P. HinsonDepartment of Endocrinology, Division of General and Developmental Medicine, Barts and the London, Queen Mary School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a potent vasorelaxant peptide recently identified in extracts of pheochromocytoma. Proadrenomedullin, a pre...

It is well established that catecholamines have potent actions on adrenocortical function and steroidogenesis in different species. The effect of these substances on steroid production of the human adrenal cell line H295R is the subject of this study. H295R is the first adrenocortical cell line capable of secreting the normal range of adrenal steroid products (i.e. mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and adrenal androgens) and since free of chromaffin cells, it appears to be a...

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) are well established paracrine regulators of adrenal function. These neuropeptides have recently been immunolocalised to the capsule and zona glomerulosa region of the adrenal cortex, where they play a role in regulating steroidogenesis and adrenal blood flow. Neural mediation of compensatory adrenal growth following unilateral adrenalectomy and stimulation of proliferation and vascular hypertrophy in vascular smooth...