Catecholamine turnover in the brain and the regulation of luteinizing hormone and corticosterone in starved male rats.
The effect of starvation was studied in male Wistar rats. After only 2 days of food deprivation, LH concentrations in serum are greatly suppressed, while a significant increase in plasma corticosterone occurs after 5 days' starvation. The noradrenaline and dopamine turnover in the basal hypothalamus is decreased after 2 days. The catecholamine turnover is also reduced in the preoptic area, and in the median eminence. Injection of the catecholamine precursor L-dopa (100 mg/kg) can prevent the increase of plasma corticosterone, but not the decrease of LH. The alpha-agonist clonidine (150 micrograms/kg), but neither the beta-agonist salbutamol (0.5 mg/kg), nor the dopamine agonist apomorphine (1.0 mg/kg) can prevent the starvation induced corticosterone increase. The decrease of plasma LH is not influenced by the dopamine or noradrenaline agonists. From these data, it appears that a decreased activity of noradrenergic neurons may be responsible for the corticosterone increase in the plasma of starved rats.
D000420:Albuterol / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism; D007980:Levodopa / Q000494:pharmacology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects; D013217:Starvation
D002395:Catecholamines; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D007980:Levodopa; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D003000:Clonidine; D001058:Apomorphine; D000420:Albuterol; D004298:Dopamine; D003345:Corticosterone; D009638:Norepinephrine