title: Ethanol differentially enhances adrenocortical response in LS and SS mice.
abstract: The stimulatory effect of ethanol on the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis was investigated in the long-sleep (LS) and short-sleep (SS) lines of mice. Plasma corticosterone concentrations peaked 30 min after IP administration of ethanol in both lines of mice. Ethanol produced dose-dependent elevations in plasma corticosterone in both LS and SS mice; however, at low doses of ethanol (0.25 to 1 g/kg) the adrenocortical response observed in LS mice was markedly greater than in SS mice. Passive immunoneutralization of circulating corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) completely abolished ethanol-induced elevation in plasma corticosterone in LS mice. CRF or ACTH (adrenocorticotropin) produced dose-dependent elevations in plasma corticosterone in the two lines of mice. Epinephrine co-administered with CRF did not potentiate the adrenocortical response obtained with CRF in either line of mice, and hexamethonium only slightly attenuated ethanol-induced elevations in plasma corticosterone in both lines of mice, suggesting that differentially elevated plasma catecholamines are not responsible for differences in ethanol-induced adrenocortical response. The results suggest that differential adrenocortical response to ethanol exhibited by LS and SS mice is due primarily to differential ethanol-induced CRF release.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Zgombick
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Erwin
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone; D004837:Epinephrine