Regulatory effect of experimental diabetes on the expression of endothelinreceptor subtypes and their gene transcripts in the rat adrenal gland

Endothelins (ETs) mediate paracrine control of vascular tone and secretion of steroids and catecholamines in the adrenal gland through two ET receptor subtypes, ETA and ETB. The differential distribution and function of these subtypes are responsible for the multiplicity of endothelin actions in thi s tissue. This study examines the regulatory effects of experimental diabet es on the gene expression, subtype specificity and localization of ET recep tor subtypes, ET isopeptides, and endothelin-converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1) in the rat adrenal gland. The densities, pharmacological properties and distr ibution of ET receptor subtypes ETA and ETB in adrenal glands from streptoz otocin-induced diabetic, insulin-treated diabetic and age-matched control r ats were investigated, using radioligand receptor binding and autoradiograp hic techniques. The gene expression of ETA and ETB receptors ET-1, ET-3 and ECE-1 was evaluated using relative multiplex reverse transcription/PCR. Th e induction of diabetes caused a marked reduction in body weight but no sig nificant change in adrenal gland size. The density of ET receptors was sign ificantly increased in the diabetic rat adrenal gland, mainly because of an increase in the expression of ETB receptors. Insulin treatment normalized the diabetes-induced changes in the expression levels of ET receptor subtyp es to control levels. The expression level of ET-1 mRNA was up-regulated, w hereas ET-3 mRNA was down-regulated in the diabetic adrenal gland compared with the controls. The ECE-1 mRNA level in the adrenal gland was not altere d by the induction of diabetes. Autoradiographic studies showed that ETA an d ETB are the predominant receptor subtypes in the adrenal medulla and cort ex respectively. These results suggest that ETA and ETB receptors are diffe rentially distributed and regulated in the diabetic rat adrenal gland.