Pituitary-adrenal stress response in the absence of brain-pituitary connections.
To examine whether an acute pituitary-adrenal response to stress may occur in vivo in the absence of hypothalamic-pituitary connections, we measured plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and corticosterone (C) in rats after acute thermal injury. beta-EP rose significantly after thermal injury in normal rats and rats bearing pituitary-to-kidney autotransplants but not in animals with pituitary aspiration without reimplantation. Corticosterone responses paralleled beta-EP but were significant only in normal controls. Propranolol pretreatment did not reduce postburn beta-EP and C rises in autotransplanted animals. Therefore, since circulating factors contribute in vivo to pituitary-adrenal responses, the widespread practice of using "stress hormone" responses to quantitate perioperative stress or pain may in some circumstances be flawed.
Carr
D B
DB
Department of Anesthesia and Medicine, Shriners Burns Institute, Boston, MA 02114.
Ballantyne
J C
JC
Osgood
P F
PF
Kemp
J W
JW
Szyfelbein
S K
SK
D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000637:transplantation; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000097:blood
D001615:beta-Endorphin; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011433:Propranolol; D003345:Corticosterone