Salinity-dependent in vitro effects of homologous natriuretic peptides on the pituitary–interrenal axis in eels

We examined the effects of atrial, B-type, ventricular and C-type natriuretic peptides (ANP, BNP, VNP and CNP1, 3, 4) on cortisol secretion from interrenal tissue in vitro in both freshwater (FW) and seawater (SW)-acclimated eels. We first localized the interrenal and chromaffin cells in the eel head kidney using cell specific markers (cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450ssc) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), respectively) and established the in vitro incubation system for eel interrenal tissue. Unexpectedly, none of the NPs given alone to the interrenal tissue of FW and SW eels stimulated cortisol secretion. However, ANP and VNP, but not BNP and three CNPs, enhanced the steroidogenic action of ACTH in SW interrenal preparations, while CNP1 and CNP4, but not ANP, BNP, VNP and CNP3, potentiated the ACTH action in FW preparations. These salinity dependent effects of NPs are consistent with the previous in vivo study in the eel where endogenous ACTH can act with the injected NPs. 8-Br–cGMP also enhanced the ACTH action in both FW and SW eel preparations, suggesting that the NP actions were mediated by the guanylyl cyclase-coupled NP receptors (GC-A and B) that were localized in the eel interrenal. Further, ANP and CNP1 stimulated ACTH secretion from isolated pituitary glands of SW and/or FW eels. In summary, the present study revealed complex mechanisms of NP action on corticosteroidogenesis through the pituitary–interrenal axis in eels, thereby providing a deeper insight into the role of the NP family in the acclimation of this euryhaline teleost to diverse salinity environments.

► None of the eel NPs induced cortisol secretion in eel interrenal in vitro.
► Specific NPs enhanced ACTH-induced cortisol secretion in eel interrenal.
► NP effects on ACTH steroidogenic action in the eel interrenal are salinity dependent.
► cGMP enhanced ACTH-induced cortisol secretion showing involvement of NP receptors.
► ANP and CNP1 stimulate ACTH secretion from eel pituitary.