Detection of Ob-Receptor in Human Adrenal Neoplasms and Effect of Leptin on Adrenal Cell Proliferation

A. Glasow; S. R. Bornstein; G. P. Chrousos; J. W. Brown; W. A. Scherbaum

doi:10.1055/s-2007-978726

Hormone and Metabolic Research, Table of Contents

Horm Metab Res 1999; 31(4): 247-251
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-978726

Originals Basic

Detection of Ob-Receptor in Human Adrenal Neoplasms and Effect of Leptin on Adrenal Cell Proliferation

A. Glasow⁴ , S. R. Bornstein¹ , G. P. Chrousos¹ , J. W. Brown² , W. A. Scherbaum³

¹Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
²Department of Medicine, University of Miami, School of Medicine and U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Miami, Florida, USA
³Diabetes Research Institute, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
⁴Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

Abstract

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Leptin, a hormone mainly secreted from adipose tissue, communicates a metabolic signal to the adrenal gland. Ob-Receptor (Ob-R) expression was reported in rat, mice and human adrenal glands. This study intended to investigate possible differences in the Ob-R expression and distribution of Ob-R protein in human adrenal tumors as compared to normal adrenal tissue. Proliferative effects of leptin were analyzed in the human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line (NCI-H295). The full length Ob-R mRNA and the isoforms B219.1 and B219.3 could be demonstrated by RT-PCR in all adrenal tumors (n = 8), the tumor cell line (NCI-H295) and normal tissue. In contrast the Ob-R isoform B219.2 was absent in the carcinoma cell line and in most of the adrenal tumors (n = 5), whereas it was present in normal adrenals. The Ob-R protein could be demonstrated in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors. Pheochromocytomas showed only a weak immunostaining with the human Ob-R antibody. Human leptin did not affect the proliferation or variability of adrenal tumor cells as demonstrated by [³H]-thymidine assay and WST-1 test. In conclusion, although functional leptin receptors are expressed in human adrenal tumors, leptin does not regulate tumor cell proliferation.

Key words

Immunostaining - Leptin Receptor - Adrenal Pathologies

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