Morphogenesis of a zone-specific adrenocortical cytotoxicity in guinea pigs administered PD 132301-2, an inhibitor of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (original) (raw)

Toxicologic Effects of a Novel Acyl-CoA: Cholesterol Acyltransferase Inhibitor in Cynomolgus Monkeys

Toxicologic Pathology, 1994

PD 132301-2, an acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) inhibitor, was administered orally to cynomolgus monkeys for 2 wk at doses of 25, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg to assess potential subacute toxicity. Sporadic episodes of soft feces and diarrhea increased in incidence from 100 to 200 mg/kg. Histopathologic alterations in adrenocortical cells of treated monkeys consisted of a dose-related decrease in cytoplasmic fine vacuolation and an increase in cytoplasmic eosinophilia most conspicuous in the zona fasciculata and reticularis. At 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, a narrow discontinuous zone of cytotoxic cortical cell degeneration occurred in the outer zona fasciculata. Decreased fine vacuolation of cortical cells correlated ultrastructurally with reduced size and number of intracellular lipid vacuoles and biochemically with a dose-related decrease in adrenal total cholesterol (from 56 to 13% of control) and cholesteryl ester (from 51 to 3% of control) concentrations. Other ultrastructura...

Changes in the adrenal cortex of the rat after chronic administration of the steroidogenic inhibitor U-8113

Cell and Tissue Research, 1978

In concert with studies of the effects of various pharmacologic inhibitors of corticosteroidogenesis on adrenocortical morphology, U-8113, an analog of amphenone B, was administered daily to Sprague-Dawley rats for 7, 14, 21 or 30 days. The primary morphological responses involved increases in adrenal weight, width ofzona fasciculata, width ofzona reticularis, intracellular lipids, mitochondrial size, mitochondrial vacuolation and crystalline-like inclusions, small coated vesicles, lysosomes, autophagic vacuoles and cholesterol ester clefts. In particular, the increases in lysosomes, coated vesicles and autophagic vacuoles containing morphologically altered mitochondria were considered reflective of mechanisms designed to maintain cellular integrity amidst functional impairment. Lipid analysis revealed marked increases in cholesterol esters and phospholipids, supportive of morphological observations. When permitted a 14 day recovery period following either 14 or 30 days of inhibitor therapy, most fine structural alterations and lipid derangements were diminished, and the cells approximated normal parameters.

Effects of the hypocholesterolemic drug, 4-aminopyrazolo (3,4-d) pyrimidine (4-APP), on the hamster adrenal cortex. An ultrastructural and functional study

Virchows Archiv. B, Cell pathology including molecular pathology, 1991

The aim of this study was to gain insight into the effects of 4-aminopyrazolo(3,4-d)pyrimidine (4-APP), a hypocholesterolemic drug, on the adrenal cortex of the hamster, representing an animal species in which steroidogenesis primarily relies on utilization of cholesterol synthesized de novo in the gland. 4-APP administration (1.5 mg/animal day for 3 days) to intact or dexamethasone-suppressed hamsters resulted in a marked proliferation of adrenocortical cells. However, the volume of parenchymal cells was unchanged in intact animals and lowered in the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona reticularis (ZR) of dexamethasone-administered hamsters. In both groups of animals, 4-APP strikingly increased the volume of the lipid-droplet compartment and markedly reduced the surface area of smooth endoplasmic reticulum in ZF cells, without significantly affecting the volume of the mitochondrial compartment and the surface area of mitochondrial cristae. These morphologic changes displayed no evident ...

Glucocorticoids enhance the cholesterol side-chain cleavage activity of ovine adrenocortical mitochondria

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1995

We have shown previously that a chronic treatment with glucocorticoids enhances cAMP-or ACTH-induced steroidogenesis of cultured ovine adrenocortical cells. This effect appears to involve a greater amount of cholesterol in mitochondria. Hence, the present study aimed to define the role of glucocorticoids in cholesterol metabolism by these cells. 2-day-old cultures were exposed to different hormones or inhibitors (10-6M ACTH, 10-5M metyrapone) for 28-48 h. At the end of the treatment period, the cells were stimulated for 2 h with 10-3 M 8Br-cAMP, in the presence of 10-3 M aminoglutethimide (in order to load mitochondria with cholesterol). Mitochondria were then isolated and incubated without or with 100/~M cholesterol either in the presence or absence of 10-3 M CaC12, or with 25 pM 22R-hydroxycholesterol. Mitochondria isolated from dexamethasone-treated cells produced consistently more pregnenolone than mitochondria from control cells, suggesting that at least part of the additional cholesterol present in these mitochondria was available for steroidogenesis. However, similar differences were obtained when mitochondria were incubated in the presence of exogenous cholesterol, both with or without calcium, or in the presence of 22R-hydroxycholesterol. Pregnenolone production under these latter conditions was much higher than when endogenous cholesterol was the only substrate. Conversely, metyrapone treatment of the cells resulted in lower production of pregnenolone from 22R-hydroxycholesterol by their mitochondria. Likewise ACTH treatment enhanced pregnenolone production by isolated mitochondria irrespective of the incubation conditions. These effects of dexamethasone and ACTH were not related to higher amounts of adrenodoxin, adrenodoxin reductase or cytochrome P450scc. These results indicate that exposure of ovine adrenocortical cells to glucocorticoids or ACTH enhances their steroidogenic potency not only by increasing the amount of cholesterol available for steroidogenesis but also by enhancing some step(s) involved in the transformation of cholesterol into pregnenolone.

Effects and mechanisms of nonylphenol on corticosterone release in rat zona fasciculata-reticularis cells

Toxicological sciences : an official journal of the Society of Toxicology, 2010

Alkylphenol ethoxylate, consisting of ∼80% nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPEO), is a major group of nonionic surfactant. The primary degradation product of NPEO, nonylphenol (NP), interferes with reproduction, induces cell death in gonads, and leads to changes in other reproductive parameters. With such apparent stress, NP is believed to induce stress response mechanism, i.e., adrenal cortical hormone. However, the effects and action mechanisms of NP on rat adrenal zona fasciculata-reticularis (ZFR) cells are still unclear. This study explored the effects of NP on corticosterone release. ZFR cells were incubated with NP in the presence or absence of adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), 8-bromo-cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (8-Br-cAMP), forskolin (FSK), 25-hydroxyl cholesterol (25-OH-cholesterol), pregnenolone, progesterone, or deoxycorticosterone at 37°C for 1 h. The concentrations of corticosterone or pregnenolone in the spent media were measured by radioimmunoassay. The expression...