Pregnenolone biosynthesis in isolated cells of Snell rat adrenocortical carcinoma 494.

Adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) produced an insignificant stimulation of pregnenolone biosynthesis from endogenous precursors in isolated cells prepared from the rat Snell adrenal carcinoma 494. On the addition of 25-hydroxycholesterol, the rate of pregnenolone synthesis increased 10-fold. These results, noting also the very low cholesterol content of the tumor cells, suggested that lack of cholesterol was responsible for the poor steroidogenic response of the cells to ACTH. Endogenous pregnenolone production was sensitive to cytochalasin B as well as cycloheximide. However, pregnenolone synthesis after the addition of 25-hydroxycholesterol was not affected by these inhibitors. Removal of cycloheximide from the cells resulted in the immediate restoration of the initial rate of pregnenolone synthesis from endogenous precursors. This suggested that cycloheximide was interfering with the action of a stable activated intracellular messenger.