Ovine 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase: from gene to function

Two distinct isoforms of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) with respect to enzymatic activity were identified in the ovine liver and kidney. 11 beta-HSD1 (the hepatic isoform) was reversible and NADP(H)-dependent. By contrast, 11 beta-HSD2 (the renal isoform) was unidirectional and NAD-dependent. Ovine placenta contained both forms of 11 beta-HSD activities. The cDNA encoding ovine 11 beta-HSD1 was cloned, and used as a probe to study 11 beta-HSD1 gene expression in fetal sheep during development. It was found that fetal and adult liver was the major site of 11 beta-HSD1 biosynthesis, and that 11 beta-HSD1 gene expression was regulated in a tissue-specific and developmentally programmed manner. Two non-functional variants of 11 beta-HSD1 were also identified. In addition, sheep kidney was unique in that both 11 beta-HSD1 mRNA and activity were absent. Although the physiological significance of 11 beta-HSD in individual fetal organs during development remains largely speculative, 11 beta-HSD in the fetal pituitary may contribute, at least in part, to the proposed resetting of cortisol negative feedback on pituitary ACTH during the last few days of gestation. In the fetal liver, the action of 11 beta-HSD may lead to the formation of cortisol which could act locally as well as systematically to modulate developmental processes. Placental 11 beta-HSD may protect fetus from exposure to the growth-inhibiting effects of maternal glucocorticoids.