ESTRADIOL STIMULATES CORTISOL PRODUCTION BY ADRENAL-CELLS IN ESTROGEN-DEPENDENT PRIMARY ADRENOCORTICAL NODULAR DYSPLASIA

Adrenal glands from a patient with ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome , whose symptoms worsened during pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, were cultured in different concentrations of estradiol. Estradiol sti mulated cortisol secretion in a dose-response manner in the absence of ACTH. Since immunoglobulins G from this patient did not stimulate cor ticosterone production in a mouse adrenal bioassay, an adrenal-stimula ting immunoglobulin is unlikely to be the cause of adrenal hyperfuncti on in this case. This is the first description of estradiol stimulatio n of cortisol production by cultured adrenal cells in ACTH-independent Cushing's syndrome.