Hypersecretion of corticotrophin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin in hypothyroid male rats as estimated with push-pull perfusion.
The relationship between hypothyroidism and disturbance of the hypothalamo-hypophysial-adrenal axis was investigated using adult male rats. Hypothyroidism was produced by administration of 4-methyl-2-thiouracil (thiouracil) in the drinking water for 2 weeks. Hypothyroidism decreased adrenal weights to 57% of controls and plasma concentrations of corticosterone to 48% of controls. The changes in the weight of adrenals recovered to control levels by administration of thyroxine. The pituitary responsiveness to corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) for ACTH release markedly increased in hypothyroid rats as compared with euthyroid rats. In vivo release of CRH and AVP in median eminence significantly increased in hypothyroid rats as compared with euthyroid rats. There were no significant differences in hypothalamic concentrations of CRH and AVP. These results indicate that hypothyroidism causes adrenal dysfunction directly and results in hypersecretion of ACTH mediated by increases in synthesis of CRH and AVP in the hypothalamus.
Tohei
A
A
Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan.
Watanabe
G
G
Taya
K
K
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008473:Median Eminence / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010477:Perfusion; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013889:Thiouracil
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D013889:Thiouracil; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone