Young Leonie S, Murphy Geraldine, Kelly Sinead N, Smith Thomas P, Cunningham Sean K, Joseph McKenna T
Department of Investigative Endocrinology, St Vincent's University Hospital and the Conway Institute, University College, Dublin, Ireland.
Eur J Endocrinol. 2003 Jan;148(1):139-45. doi: 10.1530/eje.0.1480139.
The adrenal cortex produces aldosterone, cortisol and androgens in response to ACTH and angiotensin II. To define the differential response of morphologically distinct cells of the adrenal cortex, we examined the phenotypical and functional characteristics of human adrenocortical cells.
Tumour growth factor-beta receptor-1 (TGFbeta-R1) and CYP-11 were found to be expressed predominantly in the zona fasciculata, whereas human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) and CYP-17 were localised to the zona reticularis. The angiotensin II receptor, AT-1, was found to be predominantly expressed in the zona glomerulosa. Adrenocortical cells, separated by density, yielded two distinct fractions which displayed differential growth patterns. Lipid-rich cells of fraction I expressed TGFbeta-R1 and produced significantly more cortisol relative to androstenedione than unseparated or fraction II cells, whereas lipid-poor cells of fraction II expressed HLA-DR and produced more androstenedione relative to cortisol in the presence of ACTH. Aldosterone production by fraction II was significantly greater than fraction I or unseparated cells. TGFbeta-R1-positive fasciculata-type cells separated into fraction I and HLA-DR-positive cells consistent with reticularis cells separated into fraction II. Aldosterone-producing cells indicative of glomerulosa cells separated into fraction II.
Our findings are consistent with the concept that all adrenocortical cells are capable of producing a range of steroids, but the relative production of cortisol, androgen and aldosterone differs.
肾上腺皮质在促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）和血管紧张素II的作用下产生醛固酮、皮质醇和雄激素。为了明确肾上腺皮质形态学上不同细胞的差异反应，我们检测了人肾上腺皮质细胞的表型和功能特征。
发现肿瘤生长因子-β受体-1（TGFβ-R1）和CYP-11主要在束状带表达，而人类白细胞抗原（HLA-DR）和CYP-17定位于网状带。血管紧张素II受体AT-1主要在球状带表达。通过密度分离的肾上腺皮质细胞产生了两个不同的组分，它们表现出不同的生长模式。组分I中富含脂质的细胞表达TGFβ-R1，与未分离的细胞或组分II细胞相比，其产生的皮质醇相对于雄烯二酮明显更多，而组分II中脂质含量低的细胞表达HLA-DR，在ACTH存在的情况下，其产生的雄烯二酮相对于皮质醇更多。组分II产生的醛固酮明显多于组分I或未分离的细胞。TGFβ-R1阳性的束状带型细胞分离到组分I中，而与网状带细胞一致的HLA-DR阳性细胞分离到组分II中。指示球状带细胞的醛固酮产生细胞分离到组分II中。
我们的发现与以下概念一致，即所有肾上腺皮质细胞都能够产生一系列类固醇，但皮质醇、雄激素和醛固酮的相对产量有所不同。
