Regulation of ACTH receptor mRNA and binding sites by ACTH and angiotensin II in cultured human and bovine adrenal fasciculata cells.

Human (HAC) and bovine (BAC) adrenal fasciculata cells express ACTH and angiotensin-II (A-II) receptors. In the present work, we have studied the effects of both hormones on ACTH receptor (ACTH-R) mRNA and binding sites. Both HAC and BAC expressed several ACTH-R transcripts. Although in both cell types, ACTH and A-II increased ACTH-R transcripts in a time- and dose-dependent manner, the maximal effects were different. Thus, ACTH at 10(-9) M enhanced 21- and 5-fold the level of ACTH-R mRNA and binding sites in HAC, whereas in BAC both parameters were enhanced only 3-fold. A-II at 10(-7) M increased 17- and 3.5-fold ACTH-R mRNA and binding sites in HAC, whereas in BAC, it caused only a 2-fold increase in ACTH-R mRNA and a small decrease in receptor number. In HAC, the stimulatory effects of both hormones on ACTH-R mRNA are mainly transcriptional, whereas in BAC they are mainly post-transcriptional, by decreasing the rate of degradation of ACTH-R mRNA. The stimulatory effects of ACTH on ACTH-R in both HAC and BAC were associated with an enhanced steroidogenic response to further hormonal stimulation. In contrast, specific species differences were observed with A-II. Thus, in HAC A-II increased ACTH-R mRNA and binding sites and the ACTH-induced cortisol production, whereas in BAC, A-II caused a slight decrease of ACTH binding sites and steroidogenic desensitization.