title: ACTH and cortisol responses to hypotension in fetal sheep after a prior CRF injection.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27103.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Valego
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rawashdeh
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rose
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007022:Hypotension / Q000097:blood*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D010100:Oxygen; D006854:Hydrocortisone