Studies on neuropeptide Y receptors in a mouse adrenocortical cell line.

The mouse adrenocortical Y-1 cell line has been found to express high affinity binding sites for neuropeptide Y (NPY). Pharmacological studies have shown that these NPY binding sites are of the Y1 type. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction using primers specific for the rat Y1 receptor revealed that the NPY Y1 receptor mRNA is present in Y-1 cells. The Kd of the receptor for NPY was found to be 1.75 +/- 0.20 nM and the Bmax was 265 +/- 18 fmol/mg. The NPY Y1 receptors in this adrenocortical cell line were shown to be coupled to pertussis toxin-sensitive G proteins. Stimulation of Y1 receptors resulted in the inhibition of forskolin- and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-stimulated cAMP synthesis. NPY had no effect on basal steroid release from the Y-1 cells. At an ACTH concentration of 0.1 microM, NPY did not affect ACTH-stimulated steroid release, although NPY did inhibit cAMP production under the same hormonal conditions. cAMP profoundly affected the density of the NPY receptors in Y-1 cells. Treatment of the cells with N6,2'-O-dibutyryl-cAMP or ACTH reduced the Y1 receptor density by > 50%. On the other hand the steroid dexamethasone increased the density of Y1 receptors by 35%. Although additional detailed studies are necessary, these results may have interesting implications for the functions of ACTH, steroids, and NPY in the pituitary-adrenocortical axis.