The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology
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J. Steroid Biochem. Mol. Biol. · Jun 1993
Calf adrenocortical fasciculata cells secrete aldosterone when placed in primary culture.
Aldosterone production occurs in the outer area of the adrenal cortex, the zona glomerulosa. The glucocorticoids cortisol and corticosterone, depending upon the species, are synthesized in the inner cortex, the zona fasciculata. Calf zona glomerulosa cells rapidly lose the ability to synthesize aldosterone when placed in primary culture unless they are incubated in the presence of the antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisol and selenous acid, the radioprotectant DMSO, and the cytochrome P-450 inhibitor metyrapone. ⋯ Zonal regulation of aldosterone synthesis in the bovine adrenal gland may be due to an 11 beta-hydroxylase with aldosterone synthesizing capacity which has not yet been isolated. Alternatively, a single enzyme might be responsible for the several hydroxylations in the pathway between deoxycorticosterone and aldosterone and zonal synthesis might be controlled by unknown factors regulating the expression of C-18 hydroxylation. The incubation of zona fasciculata with antioxidants and metyrapone results in atypical expression of this activity by an unclear mechanism.