title: Fetal and maternal levels of corticosterone and ACTH after pharmacological adrenalectomy.
abstract: A paradigm of pharmacological adrenalectomy of pregnant rats and fetuses in utero is described. A regimen of twice daily metyrapone injections (10 mg/100 gm body weight), results in marked depression of serum corticosterone in pregnant and in fetal rats without surgical trauma and stress. The technique should be useful in a wide variety of studies involving the developing brain-adrenal axis.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Neurology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
authors.forename: T Z
authors.initials: TZ
authors.lastname: Baram
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008797:Metyrapone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone; D008797:Metyrapone