Glucocorticoids: effects on prostaglandin release, cyclic AMP levels and glycosaminoglycan synthesis in fibroblast tissue cultures.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) reduced cyclic AMP levels and inhibited glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis in secondary embryonic mouse fibroblast cultures, when cells were incubated for short periods (30 min). The order of potency was dexamethasone greater than prednisolone greater than hydrocortisone. The effect was more marked, when cyclic AMP levels and GAG synthesis were increased by addition of PGE1. Glucocorticoids exerted no longer an inhibitory effect on cyclic AMP and GAG synthesis in cultures pretreated for 48 h with the steroids. Addition of PGE1 caused a stronger rise in cyclic AMP and GAG synthesis than in controls without GC-preincubation. This enhancement was even more pronounced, when PGE1 was added together with the GCs. The reversal of the inhibitory effect of the GCs into a potentiating effect following preincubation correlated to a reducation of endogenous PGE formation in the cultures. Short-term treatment with GCs did not reduce endogenous PGE levels, but prolonged incubation markedly decreased PGE levels. PGE formation recovered following addition of fresh medium after the 48 h incubation with the steroids, but the amount of PGE formed remained significantly lower than in untreated cultures. Non-glucocorticoid steroid hormones did not decrease PGE levels. The results indicate that the apparent loss of inhibitory activity of GCs on cyclic AMP and GAG synthesis observed after prolonged incubation may result from a reduction of endogenous PGE formation which renders the cells more sensitive to the stimulatory effect of exogenous PGE1.