Chronic effects of interleukin-1 on hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal glands in rat.
To assess the chronic effects of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and IL-2 on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo, we administered recombinant human (rh) IL-1 alpha, rhIL-1 beta or rhIL-2 (2.0 micrograms/day) repetitively to adult male rats for 10 days. In rhIL-1 beta-treated rats, adrenocorticotropic hormone-like immunoreactivity (ACTH-LI) of the anterior pituitary appeared to increase first on day 3 followed by an increase of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-LI both in the hypothalamus and in the adrenal gland after day 7. At the end of the 10-day treatment, wet weights of the adrenal glands of rhIL-1 beta-treated rats increased significantly compared with those of control rats. Plasma ACTH levels in rhIL-1 beta-treated rats at the sampling time continued to be elevated throughout the experimental period. Under the same experimental design, rhIL-1 alpha increased plasma ACTH levels at the sampling time without changes in adrenal weight or in the peptide contents investigated. The same amount of rhIL-2 had no effect on these measured variables during the 10-day treatment. These data indicate that the repetitive administration of IL-1 beta resulted in chronic effects in the hypothalamo pituitary-adrenal axis to increase the activities in these organs during the treatment and, moreover, IL-1 possibly has a positive direct effect on the CRH-containing cells in the adrenal glands.
Naito
Y
Y
Department of Anesthesia, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Japan.
Fukata
J
J
Nakaishi
S
S
Nakai
Y
Y
Hirai
Y
Y
Tamai
S
S
Mori
K
K
Imura
H
H
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000378:metabolism*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015430:Weight Gain
D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone