Js. Gell et al., EFFECT OF ESTRADIOL ON DHEAS PRODUCTION IN THE HUMAN ADRENOCORTICAL CELL-LINE, H295R, Journal of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation, 5(3), 1998, pp. 144-148
OBJECTIVE: To determine if estradiol regulates DHEA and DHEAS producti
on in a human adrenocortical (H295R) cell line and to determine if thi
s effect is receptor mediated. METHODS: NCI-H295 (H295R) cells were ri
nsed and placed in phenol red free Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's-F-12 me
dium supplemented with 0.1% charcoal-stripped serum. After 24 hours, c
ells were rinsed and treated based on experimental design. The effects
of estradiol were investigated by: 1) treatment of cells with increas
ing concentrations of estradiol (300-3000 nmol/L) with or without fors
kolin (10 mu mol/L), 2) treatment of cells with the nonsteroidal synth
etic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES) (300-3000 nmol/L) with or witho
ut forskolin (10 mu mol/L), and 3) treatment of cells with an estradio
l antagonist (ICI 182,780) in the presence of estradiol. RESULTS: Estr
adiol alone increased the based production of DHEAS in H295R cells in
a concentration-dependent manner with a maximal effect at 1000 nmol/L.
Forskolin treatment increased the basal production of DHEAS ten-fold.
Estradiol also increased the forskolin stimulation of DHEAS productio
n two-fold. In contrast, DES alone or DES in addition to forskolin did
not stimulate DHEAS production. Estradiol, in contrast, inhibited H29
5R adrenal cell production of cortisol whereas DES exhibited a similar
inhibition. The estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780 was unable t
o inhibit the stimulatory effect of estradiol. Finally, estradiol in a
concentration-dependent manner suppressed 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehyd
rogenase (3 beta HSD) activity in H295R adrenal cells. CONCLUSION: The
se experiments support the role of estradiol in regulating DHEAS produ
ction by inhibiting 3 beta HSD activity; however, the mechanism appear
s to require high concentrations of estradiol and appears to be indepe
ndent of the estrogen receptor. Copyright (C) 1998 by the Society for
Gynecologic Investigation.