EVIDENCE THAT ENDOGENOUS SOMATOSTATIN (SRIF) EXERTS AN INHIBITORY CONTROL ON THE FUNCTION AND GROWTH OF RAT ADRENAL ZONA GLOMERULOSA - THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF ZONA MEDULLARIS AS A SOURCE OF ENDOGENOUS SRIF
P. Rebuffat et al., EVIDENCE THAT ENDOGENOUS SOMATOSTATIN (SRIF) EXERTS AN INHIBITORY CONTROL ON THE FUNCTION AND GROWTH OF RAT ADRENAL ZONA GLOMERULOSA - THE POSSIBLE INVOLVEMENT OF ZONA MEDULLARIS AS A SOURCE OF ENDOGENOUS SRIF, Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology, 48(4), 1994, pp. 353-360
The effect of SRIF and its antagonist (7-aminoheptanonyl-Phe-D-Trp-Lys
-Thr\Bzl\)(SRIF-A) were studied in sham-operated and bilaterally adren
alectomized rats bearing ACTH- and angiotensin II (ANG-II)-responsive
adrenocortical autotransplants. SRIF-A (10(-5) M) completely annulled
SRIF (10(-6) M)-induced inhibition of ANG-II (10(-8) M)-evoked rise in
aldosterone (ALDO) secretion by both dispersed zona glomerulosa (ZG)
cells and autotransplant slices. A 7-day intraperitoneal infusion with
SRIF (0.3 nmol.kg(-1).min(-1)) significantly lowered plasma ALDO conc
entration (PAC) in both groups of animals, without affecting plasma re
nin activity and the plasma levels of ACTH and corticosterone. This tr
eatment caused a marked atrophy of adrenal ZG and its parenchymal cell
s (without inducing any significant change in the zona fasciculata mor
phology), as well as of ZG-like cells of autotransplants. Isolated ZG
cells and autotransplant slices from SRIF-infused rats evidenced a not
able decrease in both their basal and maximally ACTH- or ANG-II-stimul
ated ALDO production. The simultaneous infusion of rats with SRIF-A (3
nmol.kg(-1).min(-1)) completely reversed all these effects of SRIF. T
he prolonged infusion with SRIF-A alone caused, in sham-operated rats,
a marked increase in PAC and a significant hypertrophy of ZG and ZG c
ells; basal and maximally-stimulated ALDO secretion of dispersed ZG ce
lls was also notably raised. Conversely, SRIF-A infusion did not evoke
any appreciable effect in autotransplanted rats. These findings sugge
st that endogenous SRIF is specifically involved in the negative contr
ol of the secretion and growth of the rat adrenal ZG. Since regenerate
d adrenocortical autotransplants, which are responsive to SRIF but not
to SRIF-A infusion, are completely deprived of chromaffin cells, the
hypothesis is advanced that adrenal zona medullaris may be the source
of endogenous SRIF regulating ZG function.