2. Academic Validation
  3. Androgens modulate glucocorticoid receptor activity in adipose tissue and liver

Androgens modulate glucocorticoid receptor activity in adipose tissue and liver

  • J Endocrinol. 2018 Oct 1;JOE-18-0503.R1. doi: 10.1530/JOE-18-0503.
Dieuwertje C E Spaanderman 1,  Mark Nixon 2,  Jacobus C Buurstede 3,  Hetty Cm Sips 4,  Maaike Schilperoort 5,  Eline N Kuipers 6,  Emma A Backer 7,  Sander Kooijman 8,  Patrick C N Rensen 9,  Natalie Z M Homer 10,  Brian R Walker 11,  Onno C Meijer 12,  Jan Kroon 13
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 D Spaanderman, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 2 M Nixon, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • 3 J Buurstede, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 4 H Sips, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 5 M Schilperoort, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 6 E Kuipers, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 7 E Backer, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 8 S Kooijman, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 9 P Rensen, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 10 N Homer, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • 11 B Walker, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • 12 O Meijer, Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands.
  • 13 J Kroon, Urology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, 2333ZA, Netherlands.
PMID: 30400038 DOI: 10.1530/JOE-18-0503
Abstract

Glucocorticoid signaling is context-dependent, and in certain scenarios glucocorticoid receptors (GR) are able to engage with other members of the nuclear receptor subfamily. Glucocorticoid signaling can exert sexually dimorphic effects, suggesting a possible interaction with androgen sex Hormones. We therefore set out to determine the crosstalk between glucocorticoids and androgens in metabolic tissues including white adipose tissue, liver and brown adipose tissue. Thereto we exposed male C57BL/6J mice to elevated levels of corticosterone in combination with an Androgen Receptor (AR) agonist or an AR antagonist. Systemic and local glucocorticoid levels were determined by mass spectrometry, tissue expression of glucocorticoid-responsive genes and protein was measured by RT-qPCR and Western blot, respectively. To evaluate crosstalk in vitro, cultured white and brown adipocytes were exposed to a combination of corticosterone and an androgen agonist. We found that AR agonism potentiated transcriptional response to GR in vitro in white and brown adipocytes and in vivo in white and brown adipose tissue. Conversely, AR antagonism substantially attenuated glucocorticoid signaling in white adipose tissue and liver. In white adipose tissue this effect could partially be attributed to decreased 11B-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1-mediated glucocorticoid regeneration upon AR antagonism. In liver, attenuated GR activity was independent of active glucocorticoid ligand levels. We conclude that androgen signaling modulates GR transcriptional output in a tissue-specific manner.

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