Investigation of ACTH responses of chickens with autoimmune disease.
An altered immunoendocrine feedback regulation within the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis may modulate the pathogenesis of an avian autoimmune disease. To date studies have been hampered by a lack of reliable, specific, and sensitive methods for determining adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in chickens. The present study describes the determination of ACTH in plasma of chickens with a commercial radioimmunoassay, the antibody of which binds to the midregion of human ACTH 1-39. The chickens, kept on a 12-hr day and 12-hr night shift with artificial light, showed changes in plasma ACTH concentrations during the light phase with maximum values 8 hr after the light was turned on. ACTH was not measurable after treatment with dexamethasone. Intravenous administration of supernatants from concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells increased basal plasma ACTH concentrations more than 20-fold within 1 hr. This increase in plasma ACTH was higher and longer lasting in UCD 200 chickens, an animal model for scleroderma, compared with outbred and inbred normal White Leghorn chickens.
Herold
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Medical School, Austria.
Brezinschek
H P
HP
Gruschwitz
M
M
Dietrich
H
H
Wick
G
G
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002645:Chickens / Q000276:immunology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005246:Feedback; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D008027:Light; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D013154:Spleen / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D002457:Cell Extracts; D007375:Interleukin-1; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone