Adrenal Cells in Tissue Culture. II: Steroidogenic Responses to Nucleosides and Nucleotides

Monolayer cultures of adrenal cells which respond to ACTH with increased steroid production were found to have comparable stimulation of steroidogenesis induced by 3′,5′ cyclic-AMP. The same order of stimulation was found with adenosine, AMP, ADP and ATP as well. Partial responses were seen with certain uridine and cytosine phosphates. Morphologic changes, previously attributed specifically to ACTH, were found to be produced by all of the adenosine compounds tested, suggesting that these compounds mimic the action of ACTH. (Endocrinology84: 1113, 1969)