Response of the adrenals to stress in animals from litters with different numbers of young.
Undernutrition and overnutrition during the suckling period -- achieved by adjusting the number of infant rats per litter to 4, 8 and 14 -- resulted in a decrease in the plasma corticosterone level and in corticosterone production by the adrenals in vitro in overfed animals at the age of 30, 180 and 300--360 days. An enhanced response to ether anaesthesia or immobilization stress was found in overfed animals from the smallest litters. The results show that a change in postnatal nutrition and in social relationships in the litter influences maturation of the hypoathalamo-hypophysio-adrenal regulatory system; in adulthood this is manifested in changes in production of the adrenal hormones and in the reaction of the adrenals to stress.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone