Regulation of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase messenger ribonucleic acid levels by cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate and phorbol myristate acetate in human choriocarcinoma cells.

3 beta-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta HSD) in human placenta converts 3 beta-hydroxy-5-ene steroids producing progesterone, whereas 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17 beta HSD) mediates the interconversion of estrone and estradiol. We first showed that the expression of type I 17 beta HSD (17 beta HSD-I) gene was undetectable in human JEG-3 cells. We then studied the effects of cAMP- and protein kinase-C-dependent pathways on the expression of 3 beta HSD-I and 17 beta HSD-II genes using an analog of cAMP [8-(4-chlorophenylthio)cAMP (8CPTcAMP)] and a protein kinase-C (PKC) activator, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), in JEG-3 cells.

A system for toxicological screening by capillary gas chromatography with use of a drug retention index based on nitrogen-containing reference compounds.

Capillary gas chromatography with nitrogen-specific detection allows rapid screening of numerous drugs of toxicological interest. However, for accurate identification of individual peaks, the system must be well calibrated, e.g.