Modulation of adrenal gap junction expression.

To increase our knowledge of the role of peptide hormone stimulation in gap junction protein expression and adrenal cortical cell function, primary rat adrenal cortical cells were treated with adrenocorticotropin, and gap junction proteins were measured. Immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis were used to detect and characterize gap junction type and distribution. The gap junction protein, connexin 43 (alpha 1), was detected. Analysis of six connexin protein types did not reveal gap junction species other than alpha 1. Cells of the inner adrenal cortical zones, zonae fasciculata and reticularis, were demonstrated to have the highest number of gap junctions per cell in the adrenal gland. Adrenal cell cultures enriched for the two inner cortical adrenal zones were established and demonstrated also to express alpha 1 gap junction protein. Adrenocorticotropin (40 mUnits/ml) and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (1 mM) treatments increased alpha 1 gap junction protein levels and decreased cell proliferation rates in the cell cultures. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that gap junction expression can be regulated by adrenocorticotropin acting through the second messenger cyclic adenosine monophosphate. It can be suggested that gap junction expression in the adrenal gland may be under hormonal influence, and that gap junctions serve as passage for movement of molecules involved in control of cell proliferation.