Studies on cyclic nucleotides in the adrenal gland. IX. Effects of ACTH on cyclic AMP and steroid production by the zona fasciculata-reticularis of the adrenal cortex.

Effects of ACTH and calcium on cyclic AMP and steroid production by the zona fasciculata-reticularis (the decapsulated fraction) from the rat adrenal cortex have been studied. Increasing concentrations of extracellular calcium enhanced the action of ACTH on cyclic AMP and steroid production. These effects of ACTH with calcium were prevented by lanthanum, but not by tetracaine or verapamil, suggesting that ACTH stimulation may be mediated by calcium through a process not involving the tetracaine- or verapamil-vulnerable step(s) of the calcium current. High concentrations of external calcium itself increased cyclic AMP accumulation without any increase in steroidogenesis. A calcium ionophore, X537A was stimulatory for steroidogenesis but inhibitory with respect to cyclic AMP accumulation. Considered together with the findings of AMP increase, these results suggest that ACTH primarily increases intracellular calcium mobilization thus stimulating directly the steroidogenesis, which is independent of the cyclic AMP system. Relatively high concentrations of ACTH activate the adenylate cyclase, which depends on extracellular calcium to increase cyclic AMP levels and stimulation of steroidogenesis by the decapsulated fractions of the adrenal cortex.