Inhibition of replication of normal adrenocortical cells in culture by adrenocorticotropin.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) inhibited [3H]thymidine incorporation in normal adrenocortical cells of adult rats in culture, with a concomitant increase in corticosterone production and a characteristic retraction of cells. Both dibutyryl cyclic AMP and an analog of ACTH, which produces virtually no cyclic AMP, inhibited DNA synthesis and stimulated steroid production. ACTH inhibited the proliferation of adrenocortical cells obtained from suckling rats as well as the cells obtained from the capsular tissue of adult rat adrenal glands, whereas insulin caused a stimulation of DNA synthesis. These results suggest that the major role of ACTH is to induce the transformation of the undifferentiated cells of the adrenal gland into functional fasciculata cells and that the proliferation of adrenocortical cells may be under control of factors other than ACTH.