In obese mice, exercise training increases 11β-HSD1 expression, contributing to glucocorticoid activation and suppression of pulmonary inflammation

2017 ◽  
Vol 123 (4) ◽  
pp. 717-727 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu-Fang Du ◽  
Qing Yu ◽  
Kai Chuan ◽  
Chang-Lin Ye ◽  
Ze-Jia He ◽  
...  

Exercise training is advocated for treating chronic inflammation and obesity-related metabolic syndromes. Glucocorticoids (GCs), the anti-inflammatory hormones, are synthesized or metabolized in extra-adrenal organs. This study aims to examine whether exercise training affects obesity-associated pulmonary inflammation by regulating local GC synthesis or metabolism. We found that sedentary obese ( ob/ob) mice exhibited increased levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, and leukocyte infiltration in lung tissues compared with lean mice, which was alleviated by 6 wk of exercise training. Pulmonary corticosterone levels were decreased in ob/ob mice. Exercise training increased pulmonary corticosterone levels in both lean and ob/ob mice. Pulmonary corticosterone levels were negatively correlated with IL-1β, IL-18, and MCP-1. Immunohistochemical staining of the adult mouse lung sections revealed positive immunoreactivities for the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, the cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1), the steroid 21-hydroxylase (CYP21), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), and type 1 and type 2 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) but not for 11β-hydroxylase (CYP11B1). Exercise training significantly increased pulmonary 11β-HSD1 expression in both lean and ob/ob mice. In contrast, exercise training per se had no effect on pulmonary 11β-HSD2 expression, although pulmonary 11β-HSD2 levels in ob/ob mice were significantly higher than in lean mice. RU486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, blocked the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise training in lung tissues of obese mice and increased inflammatory cytokines in lean exercised mice. These findings indicate that exercise training increases pulmonary expression of 11β-HSD1, thus contributing to local GC activation and suppression of pulmonary inflammation in obese mice. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Treadmill training leads to a significant increase in pulmonary corticosterone levels in ob/ob mice, which is in parallel with the favorable effects of exercise on obesity-associated pulmonary inflammation. Exercise training increases pulmonary 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) expression but has no significant effect on 11β-HSD2 expression in both lean and ob/ob mice. These findings indicate that exercise training increases pulmonary expression of 11β-HSD1, thus contributing to local glucocorticoid activation and suppression of pulmonary inflammation in obese mice.

Endocrinology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (11) ◽  
pp. 5600-5611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Wang ◽  
Ji Young Kim ◽  
Kai Xue ◽  
Jia-yin Liu ◽  
Arthur Leader ◽  
...  

Abstract Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous syndrome associated with follicle growth arrest, minimal granulosa cell proliferation, dysregulated sex hormone profile, hyperthecosis, and insulin resistance. Using a 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-induced rat model that recapitulates the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of human PCOS, we have examined the steroidogenic capability of granulosa cells from DHT-treated rats. Gene expression of several key steroidogenic enzymes including p450 side-chain cleavage enzyme (p450scc), aromatase, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-17β, and hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-3β were markedly lower in DHT-treated rats than the controls, although the responsiveness of their granulosa cells to FSH was higher. Expression of the adipokine chemerin and its receptor, chemokine receptor-like 1, was evident in control and DHT-treated rats, with significantly higher ovarian mRNA abundances and protein contents of chemerin and its receptor. Recombinant chemerin decreases basal estradiol secretion in granulosa cells from DHT-treated rats. When the inhibitory role of chemerin on steroidogenesis was further examined in vitro, chemerin suppressed FSH-induced progesterone and estradiol secretion in cultured preantral follicles and granulosa cells. Chemerin also inhibits FSH-induced aromatase and p450scc expression in granulosa cells. Overexpression of nuclear receptors NR5a1 and NR5a2 promotes p450scc and aromatase expression, respectively, which is suppressed by chemerin. These findings suggest that chemerin is a novel negative regulator of FSH-induced follicular steroidogenesis and may contribute to the pathogenesis of PCOS.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
I. S. Zulkafli ◽  
P. J. Mark ◽  
G. B. Martin ◽  
B. J. Waddell

Albendazole is a drug commonly used for treatment of helminth infestation in human and livestock populations. Recent studies show that albendazole reduces ovarian follicular fluid oestrogen levels in sheep1, but the mechanism involved is unknown. The aims of this study were to determine whether albendazole exerts similar effects on ovarian oestrogen levels in the rat, and to assess the effects of albendazole on expression of key steroidogenic genes in the rat ovary. Oestrus cycles were continuously monitored in Wistar rats by vaginal smears. Commencing at proestrus, albendazole was administered for 12 days in drinking water (approximate dose 15 mg/kg/day). Plasma and whole ovaries were collected on the fourth proestrus (1500–1600h). A second group of rats were treated similarly except that pseudopregnancy (PSP) was induced by mating with a vasectomised male at the second proestrus. Plasma and the non-luteal ovary were collected on day 8 of PSP. Oestradiol was extracted from plasma and ovaries with ethyl acetate and concentrations measured by a chemiluminescent assay. Expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), P450 side chain cleavage (P450scc), 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), aromatase and 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD) mRNAs were measured by RT-PCR. Oestrus cyclicity, ovarian weight and mating behaviour were all unaffected by albendazole in cycling and PSP rats, although as expected levels of oestradiol were lower in PSP. In ovaries of cycling rats albendazole did not affect oestradiol concentrations but reduced ovarian P450scc mRNA expression (by 65%; P=0.024) and there was a trend for an increase in 3β-HSD (P=0.09) and aromatase expression (P=0.12). Expression of the other steroidogenic genes was unaffected and no changes in gene expression were observed in PSP rats. In conclusion, albendazole treatment reduced ovarian P450scc in cycling rats but did not inhibit ovarian oestradiol synthesis or reproductive function.


Endocrinology ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 146 (5) ◽  
pp. 2239-2245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre R. Provost ◽  
Yves Tremblay

Abstract We have studied the expression of genes involved in glucocorticoid synthesis in the developing lungs of male and female mouse fetuses on gestation days (GD) 15–18 (surge of surfactant, GD 17; term, GD 19). High levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, cytochrome P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, 21- hydroxylase, and 11β-hydroxylase mRNAs were observed in three of the six litters studied on GD 15 and in none of the 14 litters analyzed between GD 16 and 18. Of these three litters, two showed high expression levels for these five genes in lung tissues from female fetuses only, whereas in the remaining litter, only tissues from male fetuses presented high expression of these genes. In contrast, 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 mRNA level was very low on GD 15 and presented a gradual increase between GD 15 and 18 with no sex difference. Our data indicate that, like the mature adrenal, the fetal lung expresses all genes required in glucocorticoid synthesis from cholesterol. In addition, our results demonstrate that transient expression of these genes on GD 15 in the fetal lung occurs for both male and female fetuses, 2 d before the surge of surfactant synthesis, which is stimulated by glucocorticoids.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1676-1677
Author(s):  
Feng-Tao Shi ◽  
Anthony P. Cheung ◽  
Christian Klausen ◽  
He-Feng Huang ◽  
Peter C. K. Leung

Abstract Background: We have reported that growth differentiation factor (GDF) 9 can enhance activin A (βAβA)-induced inhibin B (αβB) secretion in human granulosa-lutein (hGL) cells, but its effects on steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), ovarian steroidogenic enzymes, and progesterone production are unknown. We undertook this study to further evaluate GDF9 in this regard. Methods: hGL cells from women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment were cultured with and without small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection targeted at inhibin α-subunit or GDF9 before treatment with GDF9, activin A, FSH, or combinations. We compared StAR, P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase expression in hGL cells and progesterone levels in culture media after these treatments. mRNA, protein, and hormone levels were assessed with real-time RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and ELISA, respectively. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by Tukey’s test. Results: Activin A alone reduced basal and FSH-induced progesterone production by decreasing the expression of StAR protein, which regulates the rate-limiting step in steroidogenesis but not P450 side-chain cleavage enzyme and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. GDF9 attenuated these activin A effects on StAR and progesterone. After transfection of a-subunit siRNA, activin A level increased (P < 0.001), whereas basal and activin A-induced inhibin B levels (with and without GDF9) decreased. Furthermore, the effects of GDF9 in reversing activin A suppression of progesterone production were attenuated (P < 0.001). Transfection of GDF9 siRNA decreased GDF9 as expected and led to lower StAR expression and progesterone secretion than those observed with activin A treatment alone. Conclusion: GDF9 attenuates the suppressive effects of activin A on StAR expression and progesterone production by increasing the expression of inhibin B, which acts as an activin A competitor.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. e40056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Wang ◽  
Juan Liu ◽  
Aisen Zhang ◽  
Peng Cheng ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 165 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Bonenfant ◽  
PR Provost ◽  
R Drolet ◽  
Y Tremblay

The 17beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17beta-HSDs) play a key role in the synthesis of sex steroids. The hallmark of this family of enzymes is the interconversion, through their oxydoreductive reactivity at position C17, of 17-keto- and 17beta-hydroxy-steroids. Because this reaction essentially transforms steroids having low binding activity for the steroid receptor to their more potent 17beta-hydroxysteroids isoforms, it is crucial to the control of the physiological activities of both estrogens and androgens. The human placenta produces large amounts of progesterone and estrogens throughout pregnancy. The placental type 1 17beta-HSD enzyme (E17beta-HSD) catalyzes the reduction of the low activity estrogen, estrone, into the potent estrogen, estradiol. We studied the cell-specific expression of type 1 17beta-HSD in human term placental villous tissue by combining in situ hybridization to localize type 1 17beta-HSD mRNA with immunohistochemistry using an antibody against human placental lactogen, a trophoblast marker. Immunolocalization of E17beta-HSD was also performed. To ascertain whether other steroidogenic enzymes are present in the same cell type, cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage (P450scc), P450 aromatase, and type 1 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) were also localized by immunostaining. Our results showed that the syncytium is the major steroidogenic unit of the fetal term villi. In fact, type 1 17beta-HSD mRNA and protein, as well as P450scc, P450 aromatase, and 3beta-HSD immunoreactivities were found in these cells. In addition, our results revealed undoubtedly that extravillous cytotrophoblasts (CTBs), e.g. those from which cell columns of anchoring villous originate, also express the type 1 17beta-HSD gene. However, CTBs lying beneath the syncytial layer, e.g. those from which syncytiotrophoblasts develop, contained barely detectable amounts of type 1 17beta-HSD mRNA as determined by in situ hybridization. These findings, along with those from other laboratories confirm the primordial role of the syncytium in the synthesis of steroids during pregnancy. In addition, our results indicate for the first time that CTBs differentiating along the invasive pathway contain type 1 17beta-HSD mRNA.


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