title: Excretion of corticosteroid metabolites in urine and faeces of rats.
abstract: Stress enhances the production of corticosteroids by the adrenal cortex, resulting in the increased excretion of their metabolites in urine and faeces. An intraperitoneal injection of radioactive corticosterone was applied to adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats to monitor the route and delay of excreted metabolites in urine and faeces. Peak concentrations appeared in urine after 3.2 +/- 1.9 h and in faeces after 16.7 +/- 4.3 h. Altogether about 20% of the recovered metabolites were found in urine and about 80% in faeces. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), several peaks of radioactive metabolites were found. Some metabolites were detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using two different antibodies (corticosterone, 11beta-OH-aetiocholanolone). There was a marked diurnal variation with low levels of faecal corticosterone metabolites in the evening and higher values in the morning. This diurnal variation was influenced neither by the intraperitoneal injection of isotonic saline nor by ACTH. However, the administration of dexamethasone eliminated the morning peak for 2 days.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Boltzmann-Institut für Veterinärmedizinische Endokrinologie, Universität Wien, Austria. elmar.bamberg@vu-wien.ac.at
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bamberg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palme
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Meingassner
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000652:urine*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D014316:Tritium; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone