Depolarization counteracts glucocorticoid inhibition of adenohypophysical corticotroph cells*
Authors: Lim M C , Shipston M J , Antoni F A 
Published: January 2005

In AtT20 mouse corticotroph tumour cells large conductance Ca2+‐activated K+‐channels (BK‐channels) have an essential role in the early glucocorticoid inhibition of adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) secretion evoked by corticotrophin‐releasing factor. The present study examined whether or not BK‐channels are also pivotal to glucocorticoid inhibition of normal rat anterior pituitary cells.

A membrane‐permeant, non‐metabolizable cyclic AMP analogue, 8‐(4‐Chlorophenylthio)adenosine‐3′,5′‐cyclic‐monophosphate (CPT‐cAMP) was used as the primary secretagogue stimulus, as this mimics the increase of intracellular cyclic AMP caused by corticotrophin‐releasing factor, but is not subject to the complex Ca2+‐dependent regulation of cyclic AMP metabolism that is evident in corticotroph cells.

Experiments in AtT20 cells showed that ACTH secretion stimulated by 1 mM CPT‐cAMP was suppressed to 34±1.5% (n=12) of the control stimulus by a maximal dose of 100 nM dexamethasone. The ACTH secretion evoked by the combination of 1 mM CPT‐cAMP with either 5 μM (−)BayK8644 (L‐type Ca2+‐channel activator) or 5 mM TEA (K+‐channel blocker) was respectively 69.1±7.6% and 69.3±11.8% of control after 2 h preincubation with 100 nM dexamethasone (P<0.05 vs CPT‐cAMP). The ACTH response elicited by 5 μM (−)BayK8644 and 5 mM TEA given together was completely resistant to inhibition by 100 nM dexamethasone. Furthermore, TEA and (−)BayK8644 given together synergistically stimulated ACTH release in combination with 0.1 mM or 1 mM CPT‐cAMP, and these ACTH responses were not inhibited by 100 nM dexamethasone.

In primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells, TEA (up to 20 mM), charybdotoxin (30 nM) or apamin (100 nM) failed to modify the glucocorticoid inhibition of 0.1 mM CPT‐cAMP‐induced ACTH release. The combination of 5 mM TEA and 5 μM (−)BayK8644 elicited a small but significant increase in ACTH secretion but did not modify the inhibition of 0.3 mM CPT‐cAMP‐induced ACTH secretion by 100 nM dexamethasone.

In primary cultures of rat anterior pituitary cells, depolarization of the membrane potential with 40 mM KCl enhanced the ACTH response to CPT‐cAMP and markedly reduced the maximal inhibitory effect of dexamethasone to 55±1.2% as well as that of corticosterone to 33±2.1% vs 100±2.5% and 100±1.9% inhibition respectively, when 0.1 mM CPT‐cAMP was used alone. Introduction of 5 μM (−)BayK8644 with 40 mM KCl in this system had no additional effect on glucocorticoid inhibition.

No glucocorticoid inhibition of ACTH release to any of the stimuli applied was observed in cells pretreated with the mRNA synthesis inhibitor, 5,6‐dichloro‐furanosyl‐benzimidazole riboside (DRB) (0.1 mM) or the protein synthesis blocker, puromycin (0.1 mM).

In summary, early glucocorticoid inhibition of stimulated ACTH release by cultured rat anterior pituitary cells was dependent on the synthesis of new mRNA and protein. Depolarization of the membrane potential potentiated CPT‐cAMP‐induced ACTH secretion in AtT20 cells as well as cultured rat corticotrophs and this was associated with a resistance to the early inhibitory effect of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid inhibition in rat anterior pituitary corticotrophs was unaltered by TEA, charybdotoxin as well as apamin, and hence it is unlikely to involve predominantly BK‐or SK‐type Ca2+‐activated K+‐channels.

These results support the thesis that a prime target of glucocorticoid feedback inhibition in anterior pituitary corticotrophs is the membrane potential and indicate that glucocorticoid‐induced proteins regulate the activities of several distinct plasma membrane ion channels.

British Journal of Pharmacology (1998) 124, 1735–1743; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0702024