Glucocorticoid receptor monoclonal antibodies define the biological action of RU 38486 in intact B16 melanoma cells.

The mechanism of action of the synthetic glucocorticoid antagonist, RU 38486, has yet to be completely elucidated. Although RU 38486 is a potent antiglucocorticoid in vivo, several studies have indicated that it has some agonist activities in vitro, such as high-affinity steroid binding to the receptor, activation, and DNA binding. Nevertheless, these in vitro postbinding events do not lead to any known gene expression. To understand the action of the glucocorticoid antagonist RU 38486, we studied glucocorticoid receptor localization on a mouse melanoma cell line (B16C3) by indirect immunofluorescent staining techniques, using monoclonal antibodies to the glucocorticoid receptor. Our data in intact cells suggest that, unlike glucocorticoid agonists such as triamcinolone acetonide, and similar to the glucocorticoid antagonist cortexolone, RU 38486-bound receptors do not translocate to the nucleus and hence do not allow for transcription of glucocorticoid-regulated genes to occur. Passage through the nuclear membrane may be a rate-limiting step in the action of glucocorticoid antagonists, and translocation may in itself be an important regulatory mechanism of steroid hormone action.