title: Hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis response to coronary artery embolization: an ovine model of acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Although previous studies have described the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response to the stress of acute myocardial infarction, it is not possible to study the hormone changes immediately after infarction in humans. Accordingly, we have examined the HPA response to microembolization of coronary arteries in 13 sheep compared with 5 sham control sheep. Plasma vasopressin (AVP; P < 0.001), ACTH (P = 0.005) and cortisol (P = 0.005) were all increased 2 h (first sample time) after embolization. Plasma ACTH and cortisol levels returned to baseline levels by 6 h but plasma AVP levels did not return to baseline levels until more than 12 h after embolization. Plasma corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) showed no significant change in response to embolization. In a subset of six animals which were sampled more frequently, the peak responses for plasma AVP, ACTH and cortisol occurred at 40 min after embolization. The maximum responses in any individual sheep observed at this time point were 744 pmol/l for AVP, 144 pmol/l for ACTH and 492 nmol/l for cortisol. CRH levels tended to increase across the first hour but these changes were not statistically significant. In conclusion, the stress hormone responses to microembolization of the coronary arteries have been defined in an ovine model of myocardial infarction. This model is suitable for studying the effects of novel treatments to reduce the stress of myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Charles
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Donald
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikram
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Prickett
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004617:Embolism; D005260:Female; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone