Sex Difference in Glucocorticoid Binding to the Adenohypophysis

Abstract

The occurrence of at least two types of binders could be demonstrated: one exhibited high affinity for both natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (component D), while the .other bound only the natural steroid. The latter closely resembled plasma transcortin (Koch, Lutz, Briaud and Mialhe 1975, 1976, DeKloet and McEwen 1976), whose concentration is known to be higher in female than in male rats (Labrie 1967). In the present paper we report a similar sexual difference at the level of the pituitary and, in addition, suggest a possible function for the transcortin-like (TL) component. Methods Binding studies were performed as previously described (Koch et al. 1974. 1975), using pituitaries from I-day post-operative adrenalectomized rats, killed under Nembutal anesthesia by perfusion of ice-cold saline through the heart.

The Functions of Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin: Recent Advances*

“…In the past 12 yr there have been reports on the immunocytochemical demonstration: of SHBG in monkey prostate, epididymis, and testis (50), in human testis and epididymis (51), and in mammary carcinoma cells (52); and of CBG in liver (53), uterus (54), kidney (55), lymphocytes (55), a variety of rat tissues (56), and in those pituitary cells (corticotropes) that secrete ACTH (57). A number of biochemically based studies also supported the presence of CBG or a CBG-like binder in various glucocorticoid and progesterone target organs: pituitary (58,59); kidney (60); uterus (61-63); muscle (64); lung (65); breast cancer (66); and lymphocytes (55). An SHBG-like binder was also reported to be present in human prostatic cytosol (67,68).…”