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Despite the accumulation of a number of studies, the mechanism of action of ACTH remains to be clarified. Although it is now clear that cyclic AMP acts as a intracellular mediator of ACTH action, the mechanism of its action on the stimulation of steroidogenesis is not known. The present studies were carried out to test the hypothesis that cyclic AMP might act directly on adrenal mitochondrial fraction to stimulate the metabolism of cholesterol to pregnenolone and progesterone, and to determine whether Ca++ might modulate the action of cyclic AMP. Adrenal mitochondria were obtained from male Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with dexamethasone. Steroidogenesis by the mitochondrial fraction from cholesterol-4-14C (0.2-0.25 muCi, 3.6-4.5 mmumole/sample) were measured in a system containing 20 mM tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.4), 11.5 mM NaCl, 15.4 mM KCl, 70 mM sucrose, 10 mM sodium succinate and mitochondrial fraction (0.16-0.22 mg protein/sample). Incubations were performed at 37 degrees C, with shaking, in the presence or absence of cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP and cycloheximide. After incubation, the medium was extracted with chloroform, and the extracts were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. And the radioactivity of the separated steroids was measured. The products from cholesterol-4-14C were mainly pregnenolone and progesterone, and the other products were almost negligible. Cyclic AMP effected the formation of pregnenolone and progesterone by mitochondria. Cyclic AMP exerted its effect even at low concentrations (5 X 10(-6) approximately 5 X 10(-5)M), which was presumably near the intracellular level. On the other hand, cyclic GMP (5 X 10(-5) M) failed to enhance steroidogenesis. The effect of Ca++ on the action of various concentrations (5 X 10(-6) approximately 3 X 10(-3) M) of cyclic AMP was also clearly demonstrated. Addition of Ca++ (1 mM) to the incubation medium intensified the stimulatory effect of cyclic AMP in each concentration. And in the presence of Ca++, the most effective level of cyclic AMP was shifted from 5 X 10(-4) approximately 3 X 10(-3)M to the lower concentration (5 X 10(-5)M). In addition, cyclic AMP action was modified by the changes in the concentration of Ca++ in the medium. At concentration of 10(-6) M of Ca++, steroid formation of mitochondria was maximally activated by cyclic AMP. These observations suggest that cyclic AMP enhances steroidogenesis by acting directly on adrenal mitochondria to stimulate pregnenolone and progesterone formation from cholesterol, and that Ca++ plays a significant role in its action.

Effect of Cyclic AMP and Ca<SUP>++</SUP> on Steroidogenesis by Rat Adrenal Mitochondrial Fraction