Cytokines and steroidogenesis.

Cytokines interfere with steroidogenesis at the level of the adrenals, testes, and ovaries. Within the adrenal, macrophages, and lymphocytes, physiologically widely infiltrating the adrenal cortex, and adrenocortical, and chromaffin cells produce cytokines, as IL-1, IL-6, TNFalpha, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and IL-18 which have a key role in the immune-adreno-cortical communication. In addition to cytokines interacting with adrenal function, cytokine independent mechanisms are responsible for a cell to cell-mediated immune regulation of the adrenal.

Ectopic adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) production in the adrenal gland: basic and clinical aspects.

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is integrated in the human stress system and controls the metabolism of many cell systems in the body. Therefore, hypofunction or hyperfunction of the HPA axis potentially threatens the life of the whole organism. Noncontrolled overproduction of its key regulators, CRH and ACTH, causes dysfunction of the stress system.

Myelolipomatous foci in an adrenal adenoma causing Cushing's syndrome?

We present a case of Cushing's syndrome in a 60-year old man. Abdominal imaging revealed a right adrenal mass. After confirmation of the diagnosis, the right adrenal gland was resected and revealed a tumor containing a combined myelolipoma and adenoma of the adrenal gland.

Cardiac creatine kinase metabolite compartments revealed by NMR magnetization transfer spectroscopy and subcellular fractionation.

In the perfused rat heart NMR inversion transfer revealed the existence of a compartment of ATP not exchanging through creatine kinase (CK), as demonstrated by an apparent discrepancy between the forward (F(f)) and reverse (F(r)) CK flux if this compartment was neglected in the analysis [Joubert et al. (2000) Biophys. J.