Effect of Pinealectomy on the Histology of the Adrenocortical Homologue and Plasma Cortisol Level in the Indian Catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch)

In Heteropneustes fossilis, the adrenocortical cells were highly active, hypertrophied, and degranulated after 15 and 30 days of pinealectomy in spawning/postspawning phase. Besides, several cells had undergone pycnotic changes in the 30-day group. The plasma cortisol level increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in the pinealectomized fish in comparison to those of the sham pinealectomized and unoperated control fish. The increase was higher in the 15-day group than in the 30-day-pinealectomized group. The results suggest that the pineal organ exerts an inhibitory influence on the activity of the adrenal in the catfish.     

Comparison of plasma cortisol and corticosterone in the dexamethasone suppression test for melancholia

The suppression of plasma corticosterone (B), measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA), was compared to simultaneous suppression of plasma cortisol (F), measured as total corticoids by a competitive protein binding (CPB) assay, in the overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Baseline plasma B concentrations in IO control subjects were 4.04 ± 1.07 ng/ml (X ± S.D.) at 0800 hr and 1.51 ± 0.68 ng/ml at 1600 hr. Post-dexamethasone 1600 hr B levels in the controls were 0.46 ± 0.29 ng/ml. An early escape of plasma B (> 1.2 ng/ml), like that of F (> 5 μg/dl), during the overnight 24 hr 1.0 mg dose DST was noted in patients with melancholia (endogenous depression).Half-hourly catheter samples in a normal subject stimulated to escape from dexamethasone suppression showed that in general, plasma B concentrations parallel plasma F concentrations over a 12 hr period. Repeated weekly DSTs on two patients with different psychiatric diagnoses resulted in B: F correlations of 0.74 and 0.60. Overall agreement between B- and F-DST outcomes in all categories tested at 1600 and 2300 hr was 93%; the agreement in the melancholic and non-endogenous depressed groups was 100%.Post-dexamethasone, both B and F were suppressed 55–60% below the criterion level in controls. In those patients who escaped from dexamethasone suppression, the percentage increase in plasma B above the criterion level was significantly greater (+ 55%) than the corresponding percentage change in plasma F. Most patients with borderline abnormal F-DSTs (3.5–4.9 μg/dl) exhibited clearly abnormal B-DSTs (> 1.2 ng/ml). We conclude that the use of dexamethasone suppression of plasma B (using 1.2 ng/ml as the abnormal criterion value) is an additional indicator of an abnormal DST in depressed patients.     

Sesquiterpene lactone helenalin suppresses Leydig and adrenocortical cell steroidogenesis by inhibiting expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein

Helenalin is a potent anti-inflammatory and anti-neoplastic agent isolated from several plant species of the Asteracea family. Here, we have investigated the effects of helenalin on steroidogenesis activated by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in primary cultures of rat adrenocortical and Leydig cells. Our findings demonstrate that helenalin inhibits both ACTH- and hCG-activated steroidogenesis in these cells. This effect was already evident after 2–3 h treatment with helenalin. In contrast, steroidogenesis from 22R-OHC, a cell-permeable form of cholesterol, was not inhibited by helenalin, suggesting that the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulartory (StAR) protein might be inhibited by this compound. Indeed, helenalin attenuated StAR protein expression activated by ACTH and hCG in adrenocortical and Leydig cells as assessed by PAGE/Western analyses. This inhibitory action of helenalin on steroidogenic cell functions indicates novel mechanisms of action of this compound which may be of potential therapeutic interest. However, it also poses safety concerns relating to possible negative side-effects on anabolism and systemic stress.     

Kinetics of cAMP inhibition of DNA synthesis in bovine adrenocortical cells

cAMP-treated bovine adrenocortical cells are arrested in the G₁ phase of the cell cycle. Removal of serum also arrests bovine adrenocortical cells in G₁. In the presence of cAMP, serum and fibroblast growth factor stimulate increases in medium cell volume, but DNA synthesis is not initiated. Under these conditions cAMP increases steroidogenic capacity 7- to 10-fold as assessed by metabolism of pregnenolone to fluorogenic steroids. When the kinetics of entry of cells into S phase are quantitated, serum- and FGF-treated cells initiate DNA synthesis at an exponential rate after a 12-h lag. In contrast when cAMP is removed, cells immediately initiate DNA synthesis without a lag at a similar exponential rate .(6.3 and 5.3% of the cells entering S/h). In the presence of growth factors, cAMP-treated bovine adrenocortical cells are thus hypertrophied with increased steroidogenic capacity, but are reversibly arrested at the G₁/S boundary. These findings suggest that cAMP arrests cell replication by mechanisms distinct from those of serum deprivation.     

Genetics of the Adrenal Gland

Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders -     

KCNQ1OT1 hypomethylation: A Novel disguised genetic predisposition in sporadic pediatric adrenocortical tumors?

Pediatric adrenal tumors, other than neuroblastoma, are rare and can be associated with a genetic predisposition. In this report we describe two patients with an isolated and apparently sporadic adrenocortical tumor; one girl with a carcinoma, the other girl with an adenoma. In both patients genetic screening revealed hypomethylation of the KCNQ1OT1 gene, well-known for its association with the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This represents a likely novel genetic predisposition in patients with adrenocortical tumors without clear phenotypic features of the Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.     

Pigmented adrenocortical carcinoma: Case report and review

Darkly pigmented adrenocortical neoplasms are rare tumors that are often referred to as “black adenomas,” indicative of both their pigmented nature and their invariably benign clinical behavior in previously reported cases. We herein describe an exceptional case of a malignant pigmented adrenocortical neoplasm, with late recurrence and metastasis. At age 53, this female patient was diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome and underwent a laparoscopic right adrenalectomy, revealing a 3 cm well-circumscribed, darkly pigmented adrenocortical tumor. The tumor exhibited several atypical histologic features and was diagnosed as an atypical pigmented adrenal cortical neoplasm of uncertain malignant potential. Eight years later, the patient developed clinical and biochemical evidence of recurrent Cushing's syndrome, and imaging studies revealed the presence of several masses in the right retroperitoneum. At subsequent exploratory laparotomy, three separate tumor nodules exhibiting varying degrees of pigmentation and ranging from 2.2 to 3.3 cm maximum dimension were excised. Histologically, the tumor nodules were consistent with local recurrence/metastasis of the patient's previously excised pigmented adrenocortical neoplasm.     

肾上腺淋巴瘤临床特点及预后分析

目的总结肾上腺淋巴瘤患者临床特点及治疗转归,提高临床医师对其认识。方法对我院1995—2012年确诊的22例肾上腺淋巴瘤患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析,并对其治疗转归进行随访。结果男：女为15：7,年龄（55．63±13．74）岁,就诊时病程11d～7个月。原发性肾上腺淋巴瘤9例,继发性肾上腺淋巴瘤13例,病理分型非霍奇金淋巴瘤21例,霍奇金淋巴瘤1例。主要临床表现为发热、腹痛、腰痛、体重减轻、皮肤色素沉着、疲乏无力、食欲减退。21例病理分型为大B细胞型非霍奇金淋巴瘤,术后给予环磷酰胺＋阿霉素＋长春新碱＋泼尼松（CHOP方案）化疗;1例肾上腺霍奇金淋巴瘤,给予阿霉素＋博莱霉素＋长春花碱＋达卡巴嗪（ABVD方案）化疗;18例死亡,随访生存期〈1年。结论肾上腺淋巴瘤病变累及双侧。肾上腺时可出现肾上腺皮质功能低下,确诊需依靠穿刺或手术病理,预后较差,生存期多〈1年。