Adrenal steroidogenesis following prenatal dexamethasone exposure in the spiny mouse.

Antenatal stress disturbs the development of the fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adrenal steroidogenesis. We investigated the effect of brief maternal exposure to high glucocorticoids (dexamethasone (DEX)) at mid- and late-pregnancy on adrenal structure and production of steroids in spiny mouse. Pregnant spinymice were treated for 60 h with 125 mg/kg DEX or saline s.c. by osmoticminipump at day 20 (0.5) or 30 (0.75) of gestation. Immunohistochemical expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory-protein (StAR), 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3betaHSD), 17-hydroxylase,17-20lyase (P450C17), and cytochromeb5 (CYTB5) was determined in adrenals on postnatal (P) day 170+/-20. DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol were measured by RIA. Maternal DEX at 20 days significantly reduced the expression of STAR, P450C17 (CYP17A1), and CYTB5 in the adrenal zona reticularis (ZR) of adult offspring,with greater change in male vs female offspring (P<0.05). Plasma DHEA was decreased in male offspring from DEX-treated (6.84+/-1.24 ng/ml) vs saline-treated (13+/-0.06 ng/ml; P=0.01) dams, and the DHEA:cortisol ratiowas lower inmales (P<0.05). Testosterone levels increased inmale offspring from DEX (266.03+/-50.75 pg/ml) vs saline (83.47+/-32.3 pg/ml, P<0.05)-treated dams. DEX treatment at 0.75 gestation had no significant effect on any parameters measured. This study shows that brief exposure to excess glucocorticoid has long-termimpacts on the ZR and adrenal steroidogenesis, affecting the secretion of DHEA and testosterone in male offspring, an effect produced at 0.5 but not at 0.75 gestation. DHEA is important for brain development, and its suppression in adult life might contribute to the neurobehavioral pathologies that can arise after illness and stress during pregnancy.Copyright © 2014 Society for Endocrinology.