Effect of adrenocorticotrophic hormone on sodium appetite in mice.
A main vector of the effects of stress is secretion of corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH), and adrenal steroids. Systemic administration of ACTH (2.8 microgram/day sc) for 7 days in BALB/c mice caused a very large increase of voluntary intake of 0.3 M NaCl equivalent to turnover of total body sodium content each day. Intracerebroventricular infusion of ACTH (20 ng/day) had no effect. Intracerebroventricular infusion of ovine CRF (10 ng/h for 7 days) caused an increase of sodium intake. The large sodium appetite-stimulating effect of systemic ACTH was not influenced by concurrent systemic infusion of captopril (2 mg/day). Induction of stress by immobilization of mice on a running wheel caused an increase in Na appetite associated with a 50% decrease of thymus weight, indicative of corticosteroid effects. The present data suggest that stress and the hormone cascade initiated by stress evoke a large sodium appetite in mice, which may be an important survival mechanism in environmental conditions causing stress.
Denton
D A
DA
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia 3052. d.denton@hfi.unimelb.edu.au
Blair-West
J R
JR
McBurnie
M I
MI
Miller
J A
JA
Weisinger
R S
RS
Williams
R M
RM
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D003366:Cosyntropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004326:Drinking; D006727:Hormone Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012756:Sheep; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology
D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D006727:Hormone Antagonists; D003366:Cosyntropin; D015735:Mifepristone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D002216:Captopril; D012964:Sodium