title: A local immuno-endocrine interaction may mediate rat adrenal glucocorticoid response to bacterial endotoxins.
abstract: The effects of the bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin (IL)-1beta on corticosterone secretion has been studied in vivo by employing the technique of in situ perfusion of the isolated rat left adrenal gland. Both LPS and IL-1beta dose-dependently raised corticosterone output, the response peaking at 60 and 90 min, respectively. IL-1 receptor antagonist dose-dependently reversed the effect of LPS and IL-1beta. The IL-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) inhibitor Ac-YVAD-CMK annulled the adrenal response to LPS, but did not affect that to IL-1beta. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that LPS, by enhancing adrenal production of IL-1beta, is able to evoke a sizable glucocorticoid response in the rat, thereby suggesting that local immuno-endocrine interactions may be operative in the adrenal gland of this species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazzocchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gottardo
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Nussdorfer
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D003345:Corticosterone