title: Corticosterone response to the serotonergic agonist D-fenfluramine may be independent from corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF).
abstract: This study was designed to assess the involvement of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the corticosterone response to the acute administration of the serotonergic indirect agonist D-fenfluramine in the rat. In addition to plasma corticosterone, D-fenfluramine-induced hyperglycemia (which is independent from the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis) was also analyzed. Acute i.v. injection of sheep anti-CRF antiserum (15 min beforehand) markedly diminished either stress-induced corticosterone release (but not ether stress-induced increases in plasma glucose levels), thereby indicating that passive immunization was efficient. Acute administration of D-fenfluramine (3 mg/kg i.v.) increased plasma corticosterone and glucose levels to similar extents in control rats (i.e. injected with normal sheep serum) and in anti-CRF antiserum-injected rats. These results indicate that, under our experimental conditions, D-fenfluramine-induced corticosterone elevation is of peripheral origin (through pituitary and/or adrenocortical pathways).
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, CNRS URA 1482, CHU Necker-EM, Paris, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baudrie
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chaouloff
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012016:Reference Values; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005277:Fenfluramine; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone