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Cerebellin Enhances in Vitro Secretory Activity of Human Adrenal Gland

Departments of Human Anatomy and Physiology (G.M., P.G.A., R.D.C., L.G., G.G.N.) and Urology (F.A.), University of Padua, I-35121 Padua, Italy

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Prof. Gastone G. Nussdorfer, Department of Anatomy, Via Gabelli 65, I-35121 Padova, ltaly. E-mail: ggnanat{at}ipdunidx.unipd.it

Cerebellin is a 16-amino acid peptide, originally isolated from rat cerebellum, whose presence has been recently demonstrated in the human adrenal glands and especially in medullary chromaffin cells. Cerebellin concentration dependently increased basal catecholamine (norepinephrine and epinephrine) release by human adrenal slices, containing medullary chromaffin tissue, minimal and maximal effective concentrations being 10^-9 and 10^-7 mol/L. Cerebellin (10^-7 mol/L) markedly enhanced cAMP release by adrenal slices, and the protein kinase A inhibitor H-89 (10^-5 mol/L) blocked catecholamine response to cerebellin. Cerebellin did not affect basal steroid secretion of dispersed human adrenocortical cells, but it concentration dependently increased aldosterone and cortisol production by adrenal slices. Again minimal and maximal effective concentrations were 10^-9 and 10^-7 mol/L. Aldosterone and cortisol responses to 10^-7 mol/L cerebellin was suppressed by both the ß-adrenoceptor antagonist l-alprenolol (10^-6 mol/L) and H-89 (10^-5 mol/L). Collectively, the present findings allow us to conclude that 1) cerebellin exerts a sizable secretagogue action on both cortex and medulla of human adrenals; 2) the peptide directly stimulates catecholamine release via the adenylate cyclase/protein kinase A-dependent signaling pathway; and 3) the mechanism underlying the adrenocortical stimulatory effect of cerebellin is indirect and probably involves the release of catecholamines, which in turn, acting in a paracrine manner, enhance steroid-hormone secretion.

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