title: Postnatal course of plasma levels of adrenocortical steroids in premature infants with and without NaCl supplementation.
abstract: To assess the adrenocortical response of premature infants to alterations in sodium balance, the postnatal course of plasma progesterone, 11-deoxycorticosterone, corticosteronoe, aldosterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol and cortisone was compared in healthy premature infants kept on low (1-2 mEq/kg per day) or high (3-5 mEq/kg per day) sodium diet. The mean birthweight (1470 g, range: 1210-1670 g vs 1410 g, range: 1130-1750 g) and mean gestational age (30.5 weeks, range: 29-32 weeks vs 30.2 weeks, range: 28-32 weeks) in the low and high sodium groups, respectively, were similar. Simultaneous steroid hormone measurements were made weekly up to the 5th week of life using mechanized Sephadex LH-20 multicolumn chromatography and standardized radioimmunoassays. It was demonstrated that in response to renal salt wasting and negative sodium balance there was a significant rise in plasma aldosterone concentration. The plasma levels of other individual corticosteroids generally declined with advancing age, the initial fall, however, was followed by a transient and insignificant but simultaneous increase in 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol, cortisone and corticosterone in prematures on low a sodium diet. This effect could be prevented by giving NaCl supplement. The NaCl-suppressible increase in adrenocortical activity may be the result of the combined effect of stress or angiotensin 11-induced adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) release and/or prolactin-mediated enhanced adrenal response to ACTH.
authors.affiliation: Country Children's Hospital, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sulyok
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Dörr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ertl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gyódi
mesh_terms: D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood; D003348:Cortisone / Q000097:blood; D003350:Cortodoxone / Q000097:blood; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones / Q000097:blood; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D006908:Hydroxyprogesterones; D003900:Desoxycorticosterone; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D000450:Aldosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D019326:17-alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone; D003348:Cortisone; D003350:Cortodoxone; D006854:Hydrocortisone