49 research outputs found
Specific vasopressin binding to rat adrenal glomerulosa cells. Relationship to inositol lipid breakdown
A connection between extracellular matrix and hormonal signals during the development of the human fetal adrenal gland
A connection between extracellular matrix and hormonal signals during the development of the human fetal adrenal gland
The human adrenal cortex, involved in adaptive responses to stress, body homeostasis and secondary sexual characters, emerges from a tightly regulated development of a zone-specific secretion pattern during fetal life. Its development during fetal life is critical for the well being of pregnancy, the initiation of delivery, and even for an adequate adaptation to extra-uterine life. As early as from the sixth week of pregnancy, the fetal adrenal gland is characterized by a highly proliferative zone at the periphery, a concentric migration accompanied by cell differentiation (cortisol secretion) and apoptosis in the central androgen-secreting fetal zone. After birth, a strong reorganization occurs in the adrenal gland so that it better fulfills the newborn's needs, with aldosterone production in the external zona glomerulosa, cortisol secretion in the zona fasciculata and androgens in the central zona reticularis. In addition to the major hormonal stimuli provided by angiotensin II and adrenocorticotropin, we have tested for some years the hypotheses that such plasticity may be under the control of the extracellular matrix. A growing number of data have been harvested during the last years, in particular about extracellular matrix expression and its putative role in the development of the human adrenal cortex. Laminin, collagen and fibronectin have been shown to play important roles not only in the plasticity of the adrenal cortex, but also in cell responsiveness to hormones, thus clarifying some of the unexplained observations that used to feed controversies
Cholera-toxin and corticotropin modulation of inositol phosphate accumulation induced by vasopressin and angiotensin II in rat glomerulosa cells
Identification of a novel secretogranin II-derived peptide in the adult and fetal human adrenal gland.
International audienceMolecular cloning of secretogranin II (SgII) in different species has revealed the existence of a highly conserved 66-amino acid peptide (EM66) flanked by preserved pairs of basic residues. In the present study we have localized and characterized EM66 in the human adrenal gland. A fusion protein containing the human EM66 peptide was produced in E. coli and used to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. Immunohistochemical staining of human adrenal slices revealed intense labeling of adrenochromaffin cells in the adult and fetal gland. HPLC analysis of adrenal extracts showed the presence of an immunoreactive peak exhibiting the same retention time as recombinant EM66 in both adult and fetus. These data demonstrate that post-translational processing of SgII actually generates a novel peptide in the human adrenal gland. The conservation of the sequence of EM66 in vertebrates and the occurrence of the mature peptide during early ontogenesis of the human adrenal gland strongly suggest that EM66 could exert physiological activities