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Identification and Developmental Expression of the Estrogen Receptor and ß in the Baboon Fetal Adrenal Gland¹

Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Reproductive Sciences, and Physiology (E.D.A., J.S.B.), Center for Studies in Reproduction, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201; and the Department of Physiological Sciences (W.A.D., M.G.L., G.J.P.), Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia 23501

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Eugene D. Albrecht, Ph.D., Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Bressler Research Laboratories 11–019, 655 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. E-mail: ealbrech{at}umaryland.edu

We have previously shown that estrogen regulates the development and function of the fetal and definitive/transitional zones of the primate fetal adrenal gland. Thus, during baboon pregnancy estrogen acts directly on the fetal zone to suppress ACTH-stimulated dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) formation, potentially to modulate C₁₉-steroid production and consequently placental estrogen synthesis. It is proposed that this action of estrogen is mediated by the estrogen receptor. Therefore, in the present study a developmental approach was used to determine whether the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein for the estrogen receptor were expressed in the fetal and definitive/transitional zones of the baboon fetal adrenal gland at mid (day 100) and late (day 170) gestation (term = 184 days). Estrogen receptor mRNA levels, determined by competitive RT-PCR, were approximately 7-fold greater (P < 0.02) in the fetal adrenal of late (187.8 ± 40.3 attomoles/µg RNA) compared with mid (27.4 ± 5.4 attomoles/µg RNA) gestation. Moreover, estrogen receptor mRNA expression, determined by quantitative in situ hybridization, was approximately 2.5-fold greater (P < 0.05) in the definitive/transitional zones (21.6 ± 0.5 silver grains/0.025 mm²) than in the fetal zone (8.3 ± 1.5 grains/0.025 mm²) late in gestation. The mRNA for the ß-isoform of the estrogen receptor was also expressed in the baboon fetal adrenal cortex. There was a gradient of immunocytochemical staining for the estrogen receptor and ß proteins, with extensive immunoreactivity for both isoforms in the definitive zone and lower staining in the transitional zone and the fetal zone. In summary, the results of the present study show that estrogen receptor and ß were expressed in the fetal and definitive/transitional zones of the baboon fetal adrenal cortex at mid and late gestation. The presence of the estrogen receptor provides a mechanism for mediating the action of estrogen in modulating ACTH-dependent and cortical zone-specific development and function of the primate fetal adrenal gland.

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