BILATERAL ADRENALECTOMY OF LAMBS IN UTERO: EFFECTS ON MATERNAL HORMONE LEVELS AT INDUCED PARTURITION

1976 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 433-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. F. FLINT ◽  
ANNE B. M. ANDERSON ◽  
JANE D. GOODSON ◽  
PENELOPE A. STEELE ◽  
A. C. TURNBULL
Keyword(s):  
Adrenal Cortex ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Bilateral Adrenalectomy ◽  
Hormonal Changes ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Oestrone Sulphate ◽  
Cortisol Levels ◽  
Neonatal Lambs ◽  
Adrenal Secretion

SUMMARY Progesterone, 17α,20α-dihydroxypregn-4-en-3-one, androstenedione, total unconjugated oestrogen and oestrone sulphate have been measured by radioimmunoassays in maternal utero-ovarian venous, maternal peripheral venous and/or foetal posterior vena caval plasma from six sheep bearing bilaterally adrenalectomized lambs, in which premature parturition was induced by administration of glucocorticoid. Three of the ewes were ovariectomized, and in one of these three animals the foetal testes were also excised, at the time of foetal adrenalectomy. Adrenalectomy was judged to be complete on the basis of plasma cortisol levels in the neonatal lambs, and by examination of the site of ablation at necropsy. In all cases foetal administration of glucocorticoid led to the onset of labour, and lambing, and in all animals the hormonal changes preceding parturition were indistinguishable (either qualitatively or quantitatively) from the changes observed in animals carrying intact lambs. Since therapy with glucocorticoid alone successfully compensates for ablation of the foetal adrenal cortex, it is suggested that glucocorticoid is the only adrenal product required to cause parturition, and that foetal adrenal secretion of androgens may be unnecessary.

Maternal glucocorticoid treatment programs HPA regulation in adult offspring: sex-specific effects

2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (5) ◽  
pp. E729-E739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Liu ◽  
Antai Li ◽  
Stephen G. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Guinea Pigs ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Adult Brain ◽  
Male Offspring ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Adult Offspring ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Glucocorticoid Treatment ◽  
Cortisol Levels

Pregnant guinea pigs were treated with dexamethasone (1 mg/kg) or vehicle on days 40–41, days 50–51, and days 60–61 of gestation. Adult offspring were split into two groups. Group 1 guinea pigs were catheterized, and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was tested in basal and activated states. Group 2 guinea pigs were euthanized with no further manipulation. In male offspring, prenatal dexamethasone exposure resulted in a significant reduction in brain-to-body weight ratio. Dexamethasone-exposed male offspring exhibited reduced basal and activated plasma cortisol levels, which was associated with elevated hippocampal mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) mRNA and increased plasma testosterone. In females exposed to glucocorticoids in utero, basal and stimulated plasma cortisol levels were higher in the follicular and early luteal phases of the cycle, but this effect was reversed in the late luteal phase, indicating a significant interaction of sex steroids. In female offspring (at estrus), glucocorticoid receptor mRNA levels were lower in the paraventricular nucleus and pars distalis but higher in the hippocampus in animals exposed to dexamethasone in utero. Hippocampal MR mRNA levels were significantly lower (∼50%) than in controls. In conclusion, repeated antenatal glucocorticoid treatment programs HPA function in a sex-specific manner, and these changes are associated with modification of corticosteroid receptor expression in the adult brain and pituitary.

scholarly journals The Adrenal Cortex, an Underestimated Site of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfei Mao ◽  
Bo Xu ◽  
Wenbin Guan ◽  
Dunfeng Xu ◽  
Feng Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adrenal Cortex ◽  
Critically Ill ◽  
Critically Ill Patients ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
Plasma Cortisol Level ◽  
Relative Adrenal Insufficiency ◽  
Zona Fasciculata ◽  
Cortical Function ◽  
Adrenocortical Cells ◽  
Cortisol Levels

BackgroundThe majority of the critically ill patients may have critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency (CIRCI). The therapeutic effect of dexamethasone may be related to its ability to improve cortical function. Recent study showed that dexamethasone can reduce COVID-19 deaths by up to one third in critically ill patients. The aim of this article is to investigate whether SARS-CoV-2 can attack the adrenal cortex to aggravate the relative adrenal insufficiency.MethodsWe summarized the clinical features of COVID-19 reported in currently available observational studies. ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expression was examined in human adrenal glands by immunohistochemical staining. We retrospectively analyzed serum cortisol levels in critically ill patients with or without COVID-19.ResultsHigh percentage of critically ill patients with SARS-COV-2 infection in the study were treated with vasopressors. ACE2 receptor and TMPRSS2 serine protease were colocalized in adrenocortical cells in zona fasciculata and zona reticularis. We collected plasma cortisol concentrations in nine critically ill patients with COVID-19. The cortisol levels of critically ill patients with COVID-19 were lower than those in non-COVID-19 critically ill group. Six of the nine COVID-19 critically ill patients had random plasma cortisol concentrations below 10 µg/dl, which met the criteria for the diagnosis of CIRCI.ConclusionWe demonstrate that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are colocalized in adrenocortical cells, and that the cortisol levels are lower in critically ill patients with COVID-19 as compared to those of non-COVID-19 critically ill patients. Based on our findings, we recommend measuring plasma cortisol level to guide hormonal therapy.

scholarly journals Cortisol levels are positively associated with pup-feeding rates in male meerkats

2005 ◽  
Vol 273 (1586) ◽  
pp. 571-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne A Carlson ◽  
Marta B Manser ◽  
Andrew J Young ◽  
Andrew F Russell ◽  
Neil R Jordan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Significant Variation ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
Steroid Hormone ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Hormonal Factors ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Cortisol Levels

In societies of cooperative vertebrates, individual differences in contributions to offspring care are commonly substantial. Recent attempts to explain the causes of this variation have focused on correlations between contributions to care and the protein hormone prolactin, or the steroid hormone testosterone. However, such studies have seldom considered the importance of other hormones or controlled for non-hormonal factors that are correlative with both individual hormone levels and contributions to care. Using multivariate statistics, we show that hormone levels explain significant variation in contributions to pup-feeding by male meerkats, even after controlling for non-hormonal effects. However, long-term contributions to pup provisioning were significantly and positively correlated with plasma levels of cortisol rather than prolactin, while plasma levels of testosterone were not related to individual patterns of pup-feeding. Furthermore, a playback experiment that used pup begging calls to increase the feeding rates of male helpers gave rise to parallel increases in plasma cortisol levels, whilst prolactin and testosterone levels remained unchanged. Our findings confirm that hormones can explain significant amounts of variation in contributions to offspring feeding, and that cortisol, not prolactin, is the hormone most strongly associated with pup-feeding in cooperative male meerkats.

Glucose, growth hormone, somatomedin, cortisol and ACTH changes in the plasma of unanaesthetised pig foetuses following intravenous insulin administration in utero

1983 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. G. Spencer ◽  
G. J. Garssen ◽  
B. Colenbrander ◽  
A. A. Macdonald ◽  
M. M. Bevers
Keyword(s):  
Growth Hormone ◽  
Plasma Glucose ◽  
In Utero ◽  
Insulin Administration ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Intravenous Insulin ◽  
Insulin Tolerance ◽  
Cortisol Levels

Abstract. Insulin tolerance tests were carried out in chronically catheterised foetal pigs. The experiment was carried out 7 days after catheterisation. The foetuses were, therefore, considered to be free from the effects of anaesthetics and stress. Under these conditions growth hormone levels were high compared with post-natal growth hormone levels but, under the favourable conditions in this study, both growth hormone and ACTH levels were lower than those found in anaesthetised or stressed foetuses. By contrast, cortisol levels were somewhat higher than those mentioned in previous reports. Somatomedin activity measured by post-natal cartilage bioassay was low. Following iv insulin administration there was a marked depression in plasma glucose (P < 0.01), an elevation in growth hormone (P < 0.05) and an increase in ACTH (P < 0.01). Levels of cortisol and somatomedins did not change significantly. From these data it is concluded that insulin is an hypoglycaemic factor in the foetal pig and that, for the most part, the foetal pig pituitary responds to an insulin challenge in a similar way to the post-natal pig.

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L.): comparative correlation between iodine-iodide supplementation, thyroid hormone levels, plasma cortisol levels, and infection intensity with the sea louse Caligus elongatus

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 1092-1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mustafa ◽  
B M MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Hormone ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Plasma Cortisol ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Arctic Char ◽  
Sea Lice ◽  
Lower Plasma ◽  
Hormone Levels ◽  
Thyroid Hormone Levels ◽  
Cortisol Levels

The interrelationship between plasma cortisol levels, iodine-iodide nutritional supplementation, plasma thyroid hormone levels (tri- and tetra-iodothyronine, T3 and T4 respectively), and infection intensity with the sea louse Caligus elongatus were investigated in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and Arctic char, Salvelinus alpinus (L.). Cortisol-implanted Atlantic salmon had significantly higher mean intensities of sea lice than salmon not implanted with cortisol. Untreated Arctic char had significantly higher plasma cortisol levels and sea lice infections than untreated salmon. Cortisol-implanted salmon had lower plasma levels of T3 and T4. Salmon and char treated with iodized feed and iodinated water had higher plasma T3 and T4 levels, higher plasma T3/T4 ratios, and lower plasma cortisol levels than controls. Sea lice infections were significantly reduced on salmon treated with either iodized feed (P < 0.05) or iodinated water (P < 0.05). Char treated with iodized feed also had significantly reduced infections (P < 0.05). In general, iodized feed had a greater effect than iodinated water in reducing sea lice numbers. This study indicates that elevated plasma cortisol levels in salmon and char result in lower plasma levels of thyroid hormone and an increased susceptibility to sea lice infections. It is concluded that providing the fish with sufficient iodine-iodide increases thyroid hormone levels, reduces plasma cortisol levels, and reduces susceptibility to sea lice infections.

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