Effect of placental factors on growth and function of the human fetal adrenal in vitro

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Biology of Reproduction; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod41.5.779· OSTI ID:7138024

Riopel, L; Branchaud, C L; Goodyer, C G; Zweig, M; Lipowski, L; Adkar, V; Lefebvre, Y ^[1]

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1. McGill Univ.-Montreal Children's Hospital Research Institute, Quebec (Canada)

Conditioned medium from human placental monolayer cultures (PM) had a marked stimulatory effect on proliferation (3H-thymidine uptake) of human fetal zone adrenal cells in primary monolayer culture, even in the absence of serum. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) also significantly stimulated fetal adrenal cell growth. However, the effects of PM differed from those of EGF and FGF in several respects: (1) maximal response to PM was 2-5 times greater; (2) mitogenic effects of EGF and FGF were suppressed by adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), whereas that of 50% PM was not; (3) PM inhibited ACTH-stimulated steroidogenesis (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and cortisol), but EGF and FGF did not. Preliminary characterization studies have indicated that approximately half of the placental growth-promoting activity is heat resistant and sensitive to bacterial proteases, and that 50-60% of the activity is lost after dialysis with membranes having a molecular weight cutoff of 3500. These findings suggest a role for the placenta in the growth and differentiated function of the human fetal adrenal gland.

• OSTI ID: 7138024
• Journal Information: Biology of Reproduction; (USA), Vol. 41:5; ISSN 0006-3363
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ADRENAL GLANDS
BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS
ANIMAL CELLS
CELL PROLIFERATION
GROWTH FACTORS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
ACTH
CELL CULTURES
CULTURE MEDIA
FETUSES
MAN
PREGNANCY
THYMIDINE
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
ANIMALS
AZINES
BODY
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FUNCTIONS
GLANDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HORMONES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
KINETICS
MAMMALS
MITOGENS
NUCLEOSIDES
NUCLEOTIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY HORMONES
PRIMATES
PROTEINS
PYRIMIDINES
REACTION KINETICS
RIBOSIDES
VERTEBRATES
550201* - Biochemistry- Tracer Techniques