Regulation of Cholesterol Metabolism in Adrenal Cortex

Endocrine Journal

KEIJI MIKAMI¹  MASAO OMURA⁴  AKIKO YOSHIDA³  YASUSHI SAITO²  YASUSHI TAMURA²  TETSUO NISHIKAWA⁴  SHO YOSHID² 

[1] Department of Medicine, Chiba Municipal Hospital;Second Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine Chiba University;Kanamachi Yoshida Clinic;Department of Medicine, Yokohama Rosai Hospital

关键词: Cholesterol esterase;    Human adrenals;    Adenoma;    Hyperplasia;    Cushing's syndrome;   

DOI  :  10.1507/endocrj.40.453

学科分类：内分泌与代谢学

来源: Japan Endocrine Society

【 摘 要 】

References(12)We have studied the nature and characteristics of cholesterol esterase (CEase) in human adrenal adenoma and hyperplasia tissues showing Cushing's syndrome, comparing with those in normal tissue. Each tissue demonstrated that two pH optima were found at around 4.5 and 8.0. The results of a subcellular distribution study show that acid and alkaline CEase are mainly located in lysosomes and microsomes, respectively. Our previous data suggested that phosphatidylcholine which was sonicated with cholesteryl oleate as a substrate may play a crucial role in the regulation of CEase in rat adrenal. The effect of phosphatidylcholine was therefore investigated in the present study. Acid CEase in normal tissue was increased in a dose-dependent manner by phosphatidylcholine, but not in the adenoma or hyperplasia tissues. None of those tissues showed any enhancement in alkaline CEase activity when phosphatidylcholine was added to the substrates. It is therefore suggested that the mechanism of regulation of CEase among three different kinds of human adrenals may be different from the data for the effect of phosphatidylcholine. Basal activity of acid CEase in adenoma and hyperplasia was significantly higher than that in normal tissue, and also that of alkaline CEase in hyperplasia tissue was significantly higher than that in normal tissue. Thus it is suggested that such an adrenocortical disorder as Cushing's syndrome due to adenoma and diffuse hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex may posscss the nature and characteristics of autonomy of steroidogenesis which seems to be induced by the active metabolism of cholesterol, when compared with normal tissue.

【 授权许可】

Unknown