[Influence of metanandamide on steroidogenesis in rat adrenocorticocytes in vitro].

It is known from literature about antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, membrane protective and adreniregulatory properties of N-acetylethanolamines, but data concerning their participation in regulation of steroidogenesis are insufficient. In order to study the influence of a synthetic analogue of endogenous canabinoid anandamide - metanandamide - on the intensity of steroidogenesis the influence of different concentrations of the drug on the contents of 11-hydroxicorticosteroides (11-HCS) in the culture medium after incubation of adrenal tissue in rats of both sexes was investigated. The quantitative determination of 11-HCS was conducted by fluorometric micromethod. It was shown that the incubation of tissue sections with metanandamide leads to a reduction of 11-HCS in males and an increase of their content in females. It was concluded that the inhibition of corticosteroid secretion and synthesis in males may be due to reduction of cAMP and inhibition of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) under the effect of metanandamide. The opposite and dose-dependent effects of the preparation in females may be connected with the estrogen influence on the mechanisms of drug effect realization.

[Characteristization of the human microencapsulated adrenal cortex tissue in long-term culture].

Microencapsulated human adrenal cortex tissue preserves the ability to secrete 11-oxycorticosteroids for 51 days of cultivation, and to react adequately in responses to stimulation with adrenocorticotrophin and inhibition with chloditane, suggesting good prospects of the use of this tissue for compensation of the hypofunctional state of adrenocorticotropin system in experimental animals.

[Effect of N-stearoylethanolamine on the DNA fragmentation intensity in tumour and extratumoral tissues of the human adrenal cortex].

The effect of different concentrations of N-stearoylethanolamine (NSE 18:0) on fragmentation of DNA in the tumoural and extratumour tissues of the adrenal glands in vitro was studied. In this work the following types of tissue were investigated: extratumoural tissue from patients with hormonally active tumours, benign tumour tissue (hormonally active and hormonally inactive), tissue of malignant tumours and hyperplasic tissue of the adrenal glands (Itsenko-Cushing disease). It has been established that the NSE increases the intensity of DNA fragmentation only in the tissue of hormonally inactive tumours. Benign hormonally active tumours, malignant tumours and hyperplastic tissue of the adrenal glands were resistant to the NSE. The possible mechanisms of resistance to the drug are discussed.

[Intensity of internucleosome DNA fragmentation in tissues of the adrenal glands in patients with hormonally inactive tumours].

Internucleosomal fragmentation of DNA that was isolated from the extratumour tissue of patients with hormonally active and inactive tumors, the tissues of hormonally active and inactive tumors, and also the hyperplastic adrenal tissue in patients with Itsenko-Cushing disease was studied in agarose gel using the method of electrophoresis. It has been established that the intensity of DNA fragmentation in hormonally inactive tumours did not differ from the tissue that was surrounding such tumours, and only a decrease in the mononucleosome level was revealed. The increased level of oligonucleosomas with the size of 200-800 p. o. owing to the high content of tri- and tetraoligonucleosomas was noted in the extratumour tissue of patients with hormonally active tumours, the hyperplastic tissue and in the tissue of aldosteromas, corticosteromas, and pheochromocytomas. Data obtained evidenced for the stimulating effect of the adrenal complex hormones and the adrenal meduliar layer on apoptotic processes both in the cells of extratumor adrenal tissue and in the tumor cells secreting hormonal abundance.

[Participation of cyclic nucleotides, protein kinase A and C in realization of n-acylethanolamine action in human adrenocortical cells].

The messenger mechanisms mediating N-acylethanolamines (NAE) regulatory signals in the adrenal cortex were studied. An analysis of the mechanisms of realization of NAE effects in the post-operation human adrenal cortex was carried out in vitro. Influence of NAE mix on cAMP and cGMP level, protein kinase A and C activity in sub-cellular fraction of adrenocorticocytes and homogenates of conditionally normal adrenal cortex tissues was investigated. It was shown, that N-acylethanolamines treatment resulted in a decrease of cAMP level in adrenocortical cells. cGMP level is not changed in these conditions. The rise of protein kinase C activity was obtained in the membrane fraction after N-acylethanolamines in vitro treatment (3.3 microg/ml). Activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A significantly decreased in cytosol fraction of adrenocorticocytes. It was concluded, that steroid genesis activation is determined by protein kinase C activation, inhibition is determined by cAMP-dependent messenger system.

[Glutamate decarboxylase activity and GABA binding in the brain synaptic membranes in rats with compensatory activation of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system in stress]. / Hlutamatdekarboksylazna aktyvnist' i zv'iazuvannia HAMK synaptychnymy membranamy mozku shchuriv za diï stresu na tli kompensatornoï aktyvatsiï hipotalamo-hipofizarno-adrenokortykal'noï systemy.

The reaction of the rat adrenal cortex and medulla to stress was absent under conditions of compensatory activations of function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. At the same time, glutamate decarboxylase activity was increased in the hypothalamus, decreased in the hyppocampus, and remained unchanged in medulla oblongata and cortex of cerebral hemispheres of hemiadrenalectomized rats after stress as compared to rats without stress. On the contrary, the intensity of specific GABA binding by synaptic membranes of medulla oblongata of hemiadrenalectomized rats was increased in response to stress effect it was decreased in the cortex of cerebral hemispheres, and remained unchanged in the hyppocampus.