The effects of selected inhibitors on human fetal adrenal steroidogenesis differs under basal and ACTH-stimulated conditions

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Cecilie Melau
  • Malene Lundgaard Riis
  • John E. Nielsen
  • Signe Perlman
  • Lene Lundvall
  • Lea Langhoff Thuesen
  • Hare, Kristine Juul
  • Mette Schou Hammerum
  • Rod T. Mitchell
  • Hanne Frederiksen
  • Juul, Anders
  • Anne Jørgensen

Background: Disordered fetal adrenal steroidogenesis can cause marked clinical effects including virilization of female fetuses. In postnatal life, adrenal disorders can be life-threatening due to the risk of adrenal crisis and must be carefully managed. However, testing explicit adrenal steroidogenic inhibitory effects of therapeutic drugs is challenging due to species-specific characteristics, and particularly the impact of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation on drugs targeting steroidogenesis has not previously been examined in human adrenal tissue. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of selected steroidogenic inhibitors on human fetal adrenal (HFA) steroid hormone production under basal and ACTH-stimulated conditions. Methods: This study used an established HFA ex vivo culture model to examine treatment effects in 78 adrenals from 50 human fetuses (gestational weeks 8–12). Inhibitors were selected to affect enzymes critical for different steps in classic adrenal steroidogenic pathways, including CYP17A1 (Abiraterone acetate), CYP11B1/2 (Osilodrostat), and a suggested CYP21A2 inhibitor (Efavirenz). Treatment effects were examined under basal and ACTH-stimulated conditions in tissue from the same fetus and determined by quantifying the secretion of adrenal steroids in the culture media using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis was performed on ln-transformed data using one-way ANOVA for repeated measures followed by Tukey’s multiple comparisons test. Results: Treatment with Abiraterone acetate and Osilodrostat resulted in potent inhibition of CYP17A1 and CYP11B1/2, respectively, while treatment with Efavirenz reduced testosterone secretion under basal conditions. ACTH-stimulation affected the inhibitory effects of all investigated drugs. Thus, treatment effects of Abiraterone acetate were more pronounced under stimulated conditions, while Efavirenz treatment caused a non-specific inhibition on steroidogenesis. ACTH-stimulation prevented the Osilodrostat-mediated CYP11B1 inhibition observed under basal conditions. Conclusions: Our results show that the effects of steroidogenic inhibitors differ under basal and ACTH-stimulated conditions in the HFA ex vivo culture model. This could suggest that in vivo effects of therapeutic drugs targeting steroidogenesis may vary in conditions where patients have suppressed or high ACTH levels, respectively. This study further demonstrates that ex vivo cultured HFAs can be used to evaluate steroidogenic inhibitors and thereby provide novel information about the local effects of existing and emerging drugs that targets steroidogenesis.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummer204
TidsskriftBMC Medicine
Vol/bind19
Antal sider17
ISSN1741-7015
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2021

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank staff members at the Departments of Gynecology (Rigshospitalet, Hvidovre Hospital and Herlev Hospital) and Growth and Reproduction (Rigshospitalet) for help with the collection of fetal tissue. The excellent technical assistance of Ana Ricci Nielsen, Brian Vendelboe Hansen, Ole Nielsen, and Stine Ehlern Andersen are gratefully acknowledged. We are also grateful to all the women who participated in the study, without whom this study would not have been possible.

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), the Lundbeck Foundation (Ph.D. scholarship grant no. R249-2017-1484; to CM), the Novo Nordic Foundation (grant. No. NNF19OC0056973; to AJ1), and Aase and Ejnar Danielsen’s Fund (to AJ2). MRC Centre for Reproductive Health (to RTM) is supported by MRC Centre Grant MR/N022556/1.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).

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