The mechanism by which glucocorticoids induce various cellular responses in different tissues is only partially understood. Here we demonstrate that glucocorticoids stabilize the actin cytoskeleton of several cell types, as revealed by increased resistance of actin filaments to the disrupting effect of cytochalasin and by visible thickening of actin filament bundles. These effects require sever...

Recently, novel corticotropin-releasing factor-related peptides, named urocortin 1, 2, and 3, and a distinct cardiac and peripheral vascular receptor (corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 2) were described being part of a peripheral corticotropin-releasing factor system modulating cardiovascular function in response to stress. Vasorelaxation and blood pressure lowering have been reported aft...

BACKGROUND Critical illness is often accompanied by hypercortisolemia, which has been attributed to stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, low corticotropin levels have also been reported in critically ill patients, which may be due to reduced cortisol metabolism. METHODS In a total of 158 patients in the intensive care unit and 64 matched controls, we ...

The threshold and dose-response relationships for the blood pressure and metabolic effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone (corticotropin, ACTH) were examined in conscious sheep. Corticotropin was infused at five rates (0.5 micrograms/kg/day, n = 4; 1 micrograms/kg/day, n = 4;2 micrograms/kg/day, n = 6; 5 micrograms/kg/day, n = 5; and 10 micrograms/kg/day, n = 5) for 3 days, and the time of onse...

Using confocal laser scanning microscopy we investigated the Ca(2+) distribution in single corticotropin releasing factor- and urocortin-stimulated human skin cells. The models tested included melanoma cells, neonatal melanocytes and keratinocytes, and immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes. The changes in intracellular Ca(2+) signal intensities observed after stimulation of different cell types with...

Syncollin is a 13 kDa protein that is highly expressed in the exocrine pancreas. Syncollin normally exists as a doughnut-shaped homo-oligomer (quite probably a hexamer) in close association with the luminal surface of the zymogen granule membrane. In the present study, we examine the effect of expression of syncollin in AtT-20 neuroendocrine cells, which do not normally express this protein. Ef...

Bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells express two types of K(+)-selective ion channels including a rapidly inactivating bKv1.4 current (I(A)) and an ATP-dependent noninactivating background current (I(AC)) that sets the resting membrane potential. Whole-cell, patch-clamp recording from cultured AZF cells was used to demonstrate a novel reciprocal modulation of these two K(+) channels by i...

Cells of the AtT-20/D-16v mouse pituitary tumor cell line synthesize corticotropin (ACTH) and endorphin as part of the same common precursor molecule (Mains, R. E., and Eipper, B. A. (1978) J. Biol. Chem. 253, 651-655). The entire structure of the common precursor molecule can be accounted for by three smaller peptides: a /?-lipotropin-like molecule; a corticotropin-like molecule; and a glycope...

The safety of using otic formulations is often of concern for practitioners and pet owners alike, with "safe" in this context meaning no adrenocortical suppression. This study evaluated the effect of four glucocorticoid-containing otic formulations on plasma cortisol concentrations, measured by corticotropin stimulation testing (plasma cortisol concentrations before and after corticotropin inje...