Frog chromaffin and adrenocortical cell co-cultures: a model for the study of medullary control of corticosteroidogenesis.

Phylogenetic, physiological and morphological evidence indicates that interactions between chromaffin and adrenocortical cells are involved in the differentiation and maintenance of function of both cell types. Chromaffin-adrenocortical interaction has become recognized as an important component of adrenocortical regulation; however, the mechanisms by which chromaffin cells modulate adrenocortical function are not well understood. To study directly chromaffin-adrenocortical cellular interactions, we developed primary frog (Rana pipiens) adrenal co-cultures. In these co-cultures, chromaffin cells extend processes that project towards or onto adrenocortical cells, mimicking their organization in vivo and indicating a potential for interaction between the two cell types. Cell survival and differentiation were optimized using a combination of NGF, FGF and histamine to enhance neurite outgrowth and fetal calf serum plus 10(-10) M ACTH to maintain steroidogenesis. Characterization of the cells by immunocytochemistry and histochemistry showed that chromaffin cells maintain expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes and that adrenocortical cells maintain expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Furthermore, chromaffin cells release catecholamines upon stimulation with carbamylcholine or potassium while adrenocortical cells sustain a basal secretion rate of aldosterone and corticosterone that is augmented 10-40-fold by 0.1 nM to 10 nM ACTH. We therefore propose that these co-cultures serve as a useful model system to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which chromaffin cells modulate adrenocortical cell function.