Cushing’s syndrome due to ACTH-independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH) can be associated with abnormal responses of aberrantly expressed adrenocortical receptors. This study aimed to characterize in vitro the pathophysiology of hypercortisolism in a b-blocker-sensitive Cushing’s syndrome due to AIMAH. Cortisol secretion profile under aberrant receptors stimulation revealed hyperresponsiveness to salbutamol (b2-adrenoceptor agonist), cisapride (5-HT4 receptor agonist), and vasopressin in AIMAH cultured cells, but not in normal adrenocortical cells. By RT-PCR, AIMAH tissues revealed b2-adrenoceptor overexpression rather than ectopical expression. MC2R […]

Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the main causes of disease and death and represents the second cause of death among men in Brazil. Benign prostate hyperplasia is a progressive and prevalent disease. It is estimated that men present around 50% and 90% of histological evidences of prostate hyperplasia at 50 and 80 years, respectively. While the pathogenesis of prostate neoplasias has been closely related to androgen and their specific nuclear receptor, the molecular mechanisms of cell growth, differentiation and […]