Responses of the immature fowl to a single injection of adrenocorticotrophic hormone.
Chicks, aged 1 or 21 d, were injected with long-acting ACTH (6, 12, 30 or 60 IU/kg) and changes in plasma glucose and cholesterol and in adrenal weight and cholesterol measured. 2. No consistent response was observed in the 1-d-old chicks. 3. Hyperglycaemia and adrenal cholesterol depletion could be demonstrated in the 3-week-old bird at all doses. 4. The duration of the hyperglycaemic response was dose-dependent but there was only limited evidence that adrenal cholesterol depletion was similarly dependent. 5. Starving the 3-week-old bird overnight led to a significant hypercholesteraemia which was reduced after ACTH. In contrast no change in plasma cholesterol concentration was noted in fully fed birds.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size
D001786:Blood Glucose; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol