New Roles for Corticosteroid Binding Globulin and Opposite Expression Profiles in Lung and Liver

PLoS One. 2016 Jan 7;11(1):e0146497. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0146497. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) is the specific plasma transport glycoprotein for glucocorticoids. Circulating CBG is mainly synthesized in liver but, its synthesis has been located also in other organs as placenta, kidney and adipose tissue with unknown role. Using an experimental model of acute pancreatitis in cbg-/- mice we investigated whether changes in CBG affect the progression of the disease as well as the metabolism of glucocorticoids in the lung. Lack of CBG does not modify the progression of inflammation associated to pancreatitis but resulted in the loss of gender differences in corticosterone serum levels. In the lung, CBG expression and protein level were detected, and it is noteworthy that these showed a sexual dimorphism opposite to the liver, i.e. with higher levels in males. Reduced expression of 11β-HSD2, the enzyme involved in the deactivation of corticosterone, was also observed. Our results indicate that, in addition to glucocorticoids transporter, CBG is involved in the gender differences observed in corticosteroids circulating levels and plays a role in the local regulation of corticosteroids availability in organs like lung.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Corticosterone / blood
  • Female
  • Lipase / blood
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Lung / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Organ Specificity
  • Pancreas / enzymology
  • Pancreatitis / blood
  • Peroxidase / metabolism
  • Sex Characteristics
  • Transcortin / physiology*
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • Serpina6 protein, mouse
  • Transcortin
  • Peroxidase
  • Lipase
  • Corticosterone

Grants and funding

Support was provided by: Fondo Investigación Sanitaria PI09/00505 to ME MG; Fondo Investigación Sanitaria PI13/00019 to DC SG-S; Predoctoral scholarship from the University of Barcelona to JG; European and Sardinian scholarship "Master and Back" to AL; Grant from Generalitat de Catalunya (AGAUR, Grant FI DGR 2013) to LB.