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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Primary Culture of Rat Adrenocortical Cells and Assays of Steroidogenic Functions
Published on: March 12, 2019
Curcumin inhibits ACTH- and angiotensin II-stimulated cortisol secretion and Ca(v)3.2 current
Judith A Enyeart1, Haiyan Liu, John J Enyeart
1Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Public Health, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1239, USA.
Abstract:
Adrenocorticotropic hormone and angiotensin II stimulate cortisol secretion from bovine adrenal zona fasciculata cells by the activation of adenylate cyclase and phospholipase C-coupled receptors. Curcumin (1- 20 muM), a compound found in the spice turmeric, inhibited cortisol secretion stimulated by ACTH, AngII, and 8CPT-cAMP. Curcumin also suppressed ACTH-stimulated increases in mRNAs coding for steroid acute regulatory protein and CYP11a1 steroid hydroxylase. In whole cell patch clamp recordings from AZF cells, curcumin at slightly higher concentrations also inhibited Ca(v)3.2 current. These results identify curcumin as an effective inhibitor of ACTH- and AngII-stimulated cortisol secretion. The inhibition of Ca(v)3.2 current by curcumin may contribute to its suppression of secretion.
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