Chinese Journal of Pharmacovigilance ›› 2025, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (2): 139-146.
DOI: 10.19803/j.1672-8629.20230660

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Triptolide on Secretion of Steroid Hormone in Primary Adrenocortical Cells

WANG Hongli1, DU Juan2, CAO Mengqi1, ZHANG Luyong1,3, JIANG Zhenzhou1,4#, HUANG Xin1,4,*   

  1. 1New Drug Screening and Pharmacodynamics Evaluation Center, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing Jiangsu 210009, China;
    2School of Pharmacy and Nursing, Chongqing Vocational College of Light Industry, Chonqing 400065, China;
    3Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou Guangdong 510006, China;
    4Jiangsu Center for Pharmacodynamics Research and Evaluation, Nanjing Jiangsu 210009, China
  • Received:2023-10-24 Online:2025-02-17 Published:2025-02-17

Abstract: Objective To establish a method for the extraction and verification of primary rat adrenocortical cells and to investigate the effect of triptolide on primary rat adrenocortical cells and the mechanism. Methods Primary adrenocortical cells were isolated and cultured in culture plates, their serum dependence and steroid hormone secretion function were verified, the toxicity of triptolide on primary adrenocortical cells and the effect of age on toxicity sensitivity to triptolide were investigated, and the mechanism was explored via PCR and WB experiments. Results The primary rat adrenocortical cells were serum-dependent and could secrete steroid hormone after 72 h in vitro. The toxicity sensitivity of triptolide was influenced by week age. Triptolide dose-dependently inhibited steroid hormone secretion and inhibited HSD3B2 gene and protein expressions. Conclusion The primary adrenocortical cells of female Wistar rats can serve as a good model to study the effect of drugs on adrenal steroid hormone secretion, whose inhibition by triptolide in primary adrenocortical cells is associated with decreased gene and protein expressions of HSD3B2.

Key words: Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f., Triptolide, Adrenal Gland, Primary Adrenocortical Cells, Corticosterone, Progesterone, HSD3B2, Female Wistar Rat

CLC Number: