Plasma adrenocorticotropin and cortisol responses to submaximal and exhaustive exercise

1983 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 1441-1444 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Farrell ◽  
T. L. Garthwaite ◽  
A. B. Gustafson

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels were compared before and after submaximal and exhaustive isotonic exercise in six normally active college students (3 men and 3 women). Each subject participated in three experiments conducted at the same morning hour. Venous plasma was obtained before and immediately after 20-min runs at 65 and 80% of maximal O2 consumption (VO2 max) and after a run of gradually increasing work intensity which resulted in exhaustion (100% VO2 max) in 12.6 +/- 1.3 min. ACTH (mean +/- SE) was 48 +/- 15, 57 +/- 12, and 61 +/- 11 pg/ml before the 65, 80, and 100% VO2 max runs, and increased to 61 +/- 15 (NS), 128 +/- 18 (P less than 0.05), and 292 +/- 72 (P less than 0.05) pg/ml, respectively. Plasma glucose, growth hormone, cortisol, and lactic acid concentrations increased in a similar fashion. Cortisol and ACTH levels were significantly correlated at the higher levels of exertion: r = 0.18 (NS) for the 65% VO2 max run, r = 0.65 (P less than 0.05) for the 80% VO2 max run, and r = 0.64 (P less than 0.05) for the run to exhaustion. Both the change in ACTH with exercise and its postrun concentration were significantly related to the change in plasma lactic acid (r = 0.65, P less than 0.05) and the postrun plasma lactic acid (r = 0.64, P less than 0.05). We conclude that exercise-induced increases in plasma ACTH and their correlation with circulating cortisol depend on the intensity of isotonic exercise. Our observations also suggest that plasma lactic acid may influence ACTH release during exercise.

1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (3) ◽  
pp. E325-E329
Author(s):  
D. R. Kerr ◽  
M. I. Castro ◽  
N. K. Valego ◽  
N. M. Rawashdeh ◽  
J. C. Rose

To determine whether an ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (oCRF) injection modifies adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol responses to hypotension and whether the effect of any interactions between these stimuli changes across gestation, we studied chronically cannulated fetal lambs of 103-113 ("immature") and 133-139 days gestation ("mature"). Experimental groups received 500 ng/kg oCRF injections and 6 h later had arterial pressure reduced 20% for 10 min with nitroprusside. Blood samples were obtained before and after each manipulation. Controls received vehicle instead of oCRF. The oCRF increased plasma cortisol levels from 2.1 +/- 0.4 to 14.2 +/- 4.7 (SE) ng/ml in immature and 44.9 +/- 2.2 to 102.8 +/- 15 ng/ml in mature animals. In mature fetuses the oCRF did not alter plasma ACTH and cortisol increases due to hypotension. In immature animals ACTH increases were normal but cortisol increases were eliminated. This suggests that the CRF caused maximal stimulation of the adrenal gland. In older fetuses, it appears that the action of ACTH-releasing factors, secreted in response to arterial hypotension, can overcome the negative feedback effects of elevations in endogenous cortisol.


1978 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 241-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L. WEN ◽  
W. K. K. HO ◽  
H. K. WONG ◽  
Z. D. MEHAL ◽  
Y. H. NG ◽  
...  

Plasma ACTH, cortisol, and cyclic-AMP levels of eleven heroin addicts were determined before and after treatment with a fast detoxification procedure using acupuncture and electrical stimulation (AES) together with the administration of limited doses of naloxone. At the end of the treatment period, the average plasma ACTH, cortisol, and cyclic-AMP level rose 130,83 and 24 percent, respectively. In view of the appearance of mild withdrawal signs during this method of treatment, the observed increases in ACTH and cortisol levels probably reflect the inability of AES to suppress withdrawal symptoms induced by naloxone completely. The mechanism underlying this new method of treatment is discussed in relation to AES's ability to stimulate the secretion of endorphisms.


2000 ◽  
pp. 227-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Colombo ◽  
C Dall'Asta ◽  
L Barbetta ◽  
T Re ◽  
E Passini ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the plasma ACTH and serum cortisol responses to desmopressin in patients with Cushing's disease either before or after pituitary adenomectomy during long-term follow-up, and to compare the results with those obtained after corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) testing. DESIGN: Plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were evaluated after the administration of desmopressin (10 microg i.v.) or CRH (1 microg/kg i. v.) in 34 patients with Cushing's disease. Twenty-four patients with active Cushing's disease were evaluated both before and after transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TSS); these patients were followed up for 1-36 months. Ten patients were studied only after a long-term period (1-19 years, median 4 years) after TSS (six patients), TSS plus external pituitary irradiation (three patients) and TSS plus radiosurgery (one patient). RESULTS: In 24 patients with active Cushing's disease a significant ACTH/cortisol response (P<0.001) was induced by either desmopressin (ACTH from a baseline of 15.3+/-2.7 pmol/l to a peak of 40.9+/-7.3 pmol/l; cortisol from 673+/-59 nmol/l to 1171+/-90 nmol/l) or CRH (ACTH from a basal of 14. 2+/-2.5 pmol/l to a peak of 47.2+/-7.7 pmol/l; cortisol from 672+/-50 nmol/l to 1192+/- 80 nmol/l). In all patients a positive cortisol response to desmopressin was found. After pituitary adenomectomy the 14 'cured' patients were followed up for 1-36 months; desmopressin administration never induced ACTH or cortisol responsiveness in any patient. In contrast, a progressive recovery of ACTH and cortisol responses after CRH was observed at different intervals of time in all patients but one. Five patients, in whom the cortisol concentration only normalized after surgery, showed a persistent responsiveness to desmopressin, and two of them relapsed 12 and 24 months later. In five patients who were not cured, the hormonal responsiveness to either CRH or desmopressin was similar before and after operation. Of 10 patients studied only after long-term follow-up, six were cured and a normal response to CRH was present, whereas no changes in ACTH/cortisol concentrations were induced by desmopressin. The other four unsuccessfully operated patients underwent pituitary irradiation and showed different and equivocal hormonal responses to desmopressin and to CRH. CONCLUSIONS: During the postoperative follow-up of patients with Cushing's disease, the maintenance or the disappearance of the hormonal response may be related to the persistence or the complete removal of adenomatous corticotrophs, respectively. It is suggested that desmopressin test should be performed in the preoperative evaluation and follow-up of patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Valea ◽  
Roxana Turturea ◽  
Oana Botezan ◽  
Mara Carsote ◽  
Bogdan Mircea Botezan ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Maria D Ferrer ◽  
Salvadora Pérez ◽  
Aránzazu López Lopez ◽  
José Luis Sanz ◽  
Maria Melo ◽  
...  

Our aim was to evaluate clinical, biochemical and microbiological markers related to dental caries in adults. A sample that consisted of 75 volunteers was utilized. The presence of caries and the presence of plaque and gingival indices were determined. Unstimulated salivary flow, pH, lactate, Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus dentisani were measured in the participants’ plaque and saliva samples before and after rinsing with a sugar solution. Lactate in plaque was found to be significantly related to age, gender, tooth-brushing frequency, the presence of cavitated caries lesions and plaque and gingival indices (p < 0.05). The levels of S. dentisani in plaque increased significantly with tooth-brushing frequency (p = 0.03). Normalized plaque S. dentisani values and the percentage of S. dentisani were slightly higher in patients with basal lactic acid levels ≤ 50 mg/L. After rinsing with a sugary solution, the percentage of S. mutans levels in plaque were higher in patients with lactic acid levels > 350 mg/L (p = 0.03). Tooth-brushing frequency was the factor which was most associated with oral health. Women reflected better clinical and biochemical parameters than men. Low pH and high lactic acid levels tended to be associated with high caries rates. No association was found between bacteria levels and caries indices.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katiuska Satué ◽  
Esterina Fazio ◽  
Ana Muñoz ◽  
Pietro Medica

In cycling females, the periovulatory period is characterized by stimulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. The aim of present study was to analyze the pattern and interrelationships among adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol (CORT), aldosterone (ALD) and electrolytes (sodium—Na+, potassium—K+ and chloride—Cl−) during periovulatory period in cycling mares. Venous blood samples were obtained daily from a total of 23 Purebred Spanish broodmares, aged 7.09 ± 2.5 years, from day −5 to day +5 of estrous cycle, considering day 0, the day of ovulation. Plasma ACTH was measured by a fluorescent immunoassay kit, serum CORT and ALD by means of a competitive ELISA immunoassay, and plasma Na+, K+ and Cl− were quantified by an analyzer with selective electrodes for the three ions. ACTH showed higher concentrations at day 0 compared to days −5 to −1 and +1 to +3 (p < 0.05). CORT showed higher concentrations at day 0 compared to days −5 to −2 and +1 to +5 (p < 0.05). ALD showed higher concentrations at day 0 compared to days −5 to −2 (p < 0.05) and +2 (p < 0.05). Na+ and Cl− showed higher concentrations at day 0, compared to day −5 and +5. K+ showed lower concentrations at day 0 compared to day +1 (p < 0.05). The significant correlations obtained between ACTH and CORT (r = 0.20) and between ACTH and ALD (r = 0.32) suggest that although ACTH may have an effect both on CORT and ALD, there are other very important determinants that could be considered. Hence, it is possible to presume that the pituitary adrenocortical response and ALD may be involved in the ovulatory mechanisms without a direct relation with electrolyte pattern.


Author(s):  
G. Scarlato ◽  
G. Pellegrini ◽  
C. Cerri ◽  
G. Meola ◽  
A. Veicsteinas

SUMMARY:Two cases of systemic carnitine deficiency are described. In both patients, carnitine concentration was lower than normal in serum and muscle tissue. In the first case, the illness began at age 35; the clinical manifestations were only muscular. In the second case, the illness began in childhood; there were intermittent episodes of hepatic enlargement and coma. An excessive lipid content was present in muscle tissue, especially in type I fibers, of both cases, and in the liver of the second patient. Ultrastructural studies of muscle tissue revealed important changes of mitochondria.During muscular exercise, aerobic and anaerobic metabolism were in vestigated. For a given relative work intensity, these patients showed abnormally high blood lactic acid concentration and lactic acid/pyruvic acid ratios. These data, together with the morphological alterations observed in mitochondria, suggest an impaired function of the respiratory chain, leading to a shift of the red/ox potential of the tissue towards a non reduced state.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 508
Author(s):  
Michael Schaefer ◽  
Julian Hellmann-Regen ◽  
Sören Enge

Stress belongs to the most frequent negative feelings people are confronted with in daily life. Strategies against acute stress include, e.g., relaxation techniques or medications, but it is also known that placebos can successfully reduce negative emotional stress. While it is widely held that placebos require deception to provoke a response, recent studies demonstrate intriguing evidence that placebos may work even without concealment (e.g., against anxiety or pain). Most of these studies are based on self-report questionnaires and do not include physiological measures. Here we report results of a study examining whether placebos without deception reduce acute stress. A total of 53 healthy individuals received either placebos without deception or no pills before participating in a laboratory stress test (Maastricht Acute Stress Test, MAST). We recorded self-report stress measures and cortisol responses before and after the MAST. Results showed no significant differences between the placebo and the control group, but when comparing participants with high relative to low beliefs in the power of placebos we found significant lower anxiety and cortisol responses for the placebo believers. These results show that non-deceptive placebos may successfully reduce acute anxiety and stress, but only in participants who had a strong belief in placebos. We discuss the results by suggesting that open-label placebos might be a possible treatment to reduce stress at least for some individuals.


1974 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
JULIA C. BUCKINGHAM ◽  
J. R. HODGES

SUMMARY Changes in pituitary and plasma corticotrophin (ACTH), estimated by redox bioassay, were correlated with changes in plasma corticosterone in adrenalectomized rats, with and without corticosterone treatment, before and after exposure to stress. After adrenalectomy, the plasma ACTH concentration was persistently increased. The pituitary ACTH content declined and then increased markedly. These changes were prevented by physiological doses of corticosteroids. Stress caused only a small rise in the plasma ACTH concentration in intact and sham-operated rats but a marked increase in adrenalectomized animals. This exaggerated response was reduced to normal by physiological doses of corticosterone. Prolonged treatment with higher doses of corticosterone was necessary to abolish completely the adrenocorticotrophic response to stress. However, one injection of the steroid, in a dose sufficient to raise the plasma corticosterone concentration to a similar level, did not impair the stress-induced release of ACTH. The results suggest that the synthesis and the basal release of ACTH are directly controlled by the concentration of corticosteroid in the blood, but the corticosteroids exert only a delayed effect in modulating the stress-induced release of the hormone.


1996 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1901-1907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Favier ◽  
Esperanza Caceres ◽  
Laurent Guillon ◽  
Brigitte Sempore ◽  
Michel Sauvain ◽  
...  

Favier, Roland, Esperanza Caceres, Laurent Guillon, Brigitte Sempore, Michel Sauvain, Harry Koubi, and Hilde Spielvogel. Coca chewing for exercise: hormonal and metabolic responses of nonhabitual chewers. J. Appl. Physiol. 81(5): 1901–1907, 1996.—To determine the effects of acute coca use on the hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise, 12 healthy nonhabitual coca users were submitted twice to steady-state exercise (∼75% maximal O2 uptake). On one occasion, they were asked to chew 15 g of coca leaves 1 h before exercise, whereas on the other occasion, exercise was performed after 1 h of chewing a sugar-free chewing gum. Plasma epinephrine, norepinephrine, insulin, glucagon, and metabolites (glucose, lactate, glycerol, and free fatty acids) were determined at rest before and after coca chewing and during the 5th, 15th, 30th, and 60th min of exercise. Simultaneously to these determinations, cardiorespiratory variables (heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, oxygen uptake, and respiratory gas exchange ratio) were also measured. At rest, coca chewing had no effect on plasma hormonal and metabolic levels except for a significantly reduced insulin concentration. During exercise, the oxygen uptake, heart rate, and respiratory gas exchange ratio were significantly increased in the coca-chewing trial compared with the control (gum-chewing) test. The exercise-induced drop in plasma glucose and insulin was prevented by prior coca chewing. These results contrast with previous data obtained in chronic coca users who display during prolonged submaximal exercise an exaggerated plasma sympathetic response, an enhanced availability and utilization of fat (R. Favier, E. Caceres, H. Koubi, B. Sempore, M. Sauvain, and H. Spielvogel. J. Appl. Physiol. 80: 650–655, 1996). We conclude that, whereas coca chewing might affect glucose homeostasis during exercise, none of the physiological data provided by this study would suggest that acute coca chewing in nonhabitual users could enhance tolerance to exercise.


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