Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 (TIMP‐2) expression is strongly induced by ACTH in adrenocortical cells

Besides its acute and chronic effects on corticosteroid synthesis, the pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) regulates diverse adrenocortical biological functions including the synthesis of a number of mitochondrial, cytoplasmic, and secreted proteins. ACTH‐induced secreted proteins are candidates to act as local extracellular relays of the hormone in either an autocrine or a paracrine manner. In the present study, we report that stimulation of primary cultures of bovine adrenocortical (BAC) fasciculata cells with 10 nM ACTH for 24 h results in a mean 8 ± 4‐fold induction of the synthesis of a secreted protein presenting an apparent Mr of 21 kDa. Peptide microsequencing and Western blotting allowed us to identify this 21‐kDa ACTH‐induced protein as the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 (TIMP‐2). The induction of TIMP‐2 by ACTH required transcription, was mimicked by 8‐bromo cyclic 3′–5′ adenosine monophosphate, but was not observed in response to angiotensin II, IGF‐1, fibroblast growth factor‐2, transforming growth factor‐β1, or cortisol treatments. ACTH stimulated TIMP‐2 mRNA levels by a factor 4, whereas TIMP‐1 mRNA levels were not affected and TIMP‐3 mRNA remained undetectable. The biological activity of TIMP‐2 varied accordingly, as we observed that the conditioned medium of ACTH‐treated BAC cells was four times more potent at inhibiting gelatinolytic activity than was the conditioned medium of control cells. Because the proteolytic activity of both progelatinase‐B and progelatinase‐A secreted by BAC cells remained latent, whether in the presence or in the absence of ACTH, a paracrine rather than autocrine role is proposed for TIMP‐2 in the adrenal cortex. J. Cell. Physiol. 180:372–380, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.