1.Single-cell spatial profiling reveals immune-steroidogenic crosstalk in adrenals of patients with primary aldosteronism
Noorzaileen Eileena Zaidi ; Amnani Aminuddin ; Aina Nadheera Abd Rahman ; Faeezah Abdul Latif ; Emily Goodchild ; Kate Laycock ; Eva Wozniak ; Charles Mein ; Muaatamarulain Mustangin ; Nor Adzimah Johdi ; Nor Haslinda Abd Aziz ; Adli Ali ; Azraai Bahari Nasruddin ; Miroslav Solar ; Troy Puar Hai Kiat ; Norlela Sukor ; William Drake ; Morris Jonathan Brown ; Elena Aisha Azizan
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 2026;41(S1):6-
Introduction:
Primary aldosteronism (PA), most commonly caused by aldosterone-producing adenomas (APAs), represents the leading
form of surgically curable secondary hypertension. While genomic studies have elucidated the mutational landscape
of APAs, the spatial organisation and functional role of immune populations across APAs, aldosterone-producing
micronodules (APMs), and adjacent adrenal cortex remain poorly defined at single-cell resolution.
Methodology:
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was integrated with spatial transcriptomics in APAs and paired adjacent adrenal
cortex, complemented by immunohistochemical (IHC) validation. Immune populations were spatially mapped using
canonical markers (CD14, CD68, CD163, HLA-DR, CD8A, and CD4) across defined adrenocortical regions.
Results:
The adrenal microenvironment in PA demonstrates structured immune organisation rather than passive infiltration.
CD14+ monocyte-lineage cells localize intraparenchymally within APAs (n = 10), intercalating between CYP11B2+
aldosterone-producing cells and forming a pattern distinct from perivascular immune niches. scRNA-seq further
identified a transcriptionally distinct CD14+ population within the zona reticularis (zR) that co-expresses steroidogenic
markers (CYB5A, SULT2A1, TSPAN12) while lacking canonical monocyte transcripts. IHC supported this observation,
demonstrating CD14 expression within adrenocortical zR parenchymal cells (n = 5). In parallel, CD4 and HLA-DRA
exhibited diffuse cytoplasmic staining within zR parenchymal cells in the absence of classical macrophage marker coexpression (CD68), suggesting non-canonical or context-dependent expression within steroidogenic compartments.
CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages were sparsely distributed across APA, APM and adjacent cortex, consistent with lowdensity tissue-resident populations, while CD8A+ cytotoxic lymphocytes were enriched in APAs and APMs with diffuse
parenchymal cytoplasmic staining of CD8A additionally observed within the zR.
Conclusion
These findings reveal a previously unrecognized spatially organised immune-steroidogenic interface within the adrenal
cortex. The presence of immune-associated transcriptional and protein signatures within zR cells suggests potential
functional plasticity of steroidogenic cells, possibly extending to antigen presentation-related pathways, warranting
further mechanistic investigation
Hyperaldosteronism
;
Humans
2.Cytotoxic, Anti-Inflammatory and Adipogenic Effects of Inophyllum D, Calanone, Isocordato-oblongic acid, and Morelloflavone on Cell Lines.
Muhammad TAHER ; Amnani AMINUDDIN ; Deny SUSANTI ; Nurul Iman AMINUDIN ; Shamsul ON ; Farediah AHMAD ; Hanisuhana HAMIDON
Natural Product Sciences 2016;22(2):122-128
This paper reports in vitro cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and adipocyte diffentiation with adipogenic effects of coumarins inophyllum D (1) and calanone (2), and a chromanone carboxylic acid namely isocordato-oblongic acid (3) isolated from Calophyllum symingtonianum as well as a biflavonoid morelloflavon e (4) isolated from Garcinia prainiana on MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma RAW 264.7 macrophages and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes cells, respectively. The cytotoxicity study on MCF-7 cell was conducted by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Meanwhile, the study of anti-inflammatory effects in RAW 264.7 macrophages and adipogenic effects on 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were conducted through nitrite determination assay and induction of adipocyte differentiation, respectively. In the cytotoxicity study, inophyllum D (1) was the only compounds that exhibited significant cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 cell with IC₅₀ of 84 µg/mL. Further, all by inhibiting the compounds have shown anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages of nitrite concentration with production. In addition, the compounds also exhibited adipogenic effects on 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes by stimulating lipid formation. Thus, this study may provide significant input in discovery of the potential effects cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and adipogenic agents.
Adenocarcinoma
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Adipocytes
;
Breast
;
Calophyllum
;
Cell Line*
;
Coumarins
;
Garcinia
;
In Vitro Techniques
;
Macrophages
;
MCF-7 Cells


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