Mini Review

Adrenarche: Postnatal Adrenal Zonation and Hormonal and Metabolic Regulation
Alicia Belgorosky, María Sonia Baquedano, Gabriela Guercio, Marco A. Rivarola

Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital de Pediatría Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Address of Corresponding Author

Horm Res 2008;70:257-267 (DOI: 10.1159/000157871)

  Key Words

• Adrenarche, premature
• Adrenal cortex-medulla interaction
• GH-IGF system
• Adrenal androgens
• Estrogen receptor

  Abstract

Adrenarche is the direct consequence of the organogenesis of the zona reticularis (ZR). Proliferation of cortical cells could take place in the outermost layers of the adrenal cortex. Cells could then migrate to differentiate the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata (ZF) during fetal life, and the ZR during postnatal life. After adrenarche, there are detectable increases in circulating DHEA and DHEA-S. Adrenarche could result from an increase in 17,20-lyase activity of P450c17 secondary to high levels of cytochrome b₅ expression, and from a decrease in 3HSD2 expression along with an increase in the expression of SULT2A1 in the ZR. The GH-IGF system and insulin, among other factors, might also modulate adrenal androgen production. Furthermore, high concentrations of estradiol enhance basal and ACTH-stimulated DHEA-S production, while aromatase expression was observed in the human adrenal medulla but not in the ZR, suggesting that estrogens produced in the adrenal medulla might be involved in the regulation of androgen production in the ZR. Premature adrenarche might be associated with ovarian hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian syndrome in females, as well as with insulin resistance in both sexes. However, many questions remain, transforming adrenal androgens into markers of diseases important for human health.

Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Alicia Belgorosky
Servicio de Endocrinolología, Hospital de Pediatría Garrahan
C. de los Pozos 1881
Buenos Aires 1245 (Argentina)
Tel. +54 11 4308 0034, Fax +54 11 4308 5325, E-Mail abelgo@elsitio.net

  Article Information

Received: February 11, 2008
Accepted: June 16, 2008
Published online: September 30, 2008
Number of Print Pages : 11
Number of Figures : 5, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 62