title: The effect of chronic food restriction on immunopositive ACTH cells in peripubertal female rats.
abstract: In peripubertal female rats, we have previously found that 50% food restriction (FR) increases plasma IL-6, haptoglobin and both alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (AST) aminotransferases, indicating the existence of an inflammatory response. To study whether such FR influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, we examined by immunohistochemistry the morphofunctional features of pituitary adrenocorticotroppic (ACTH) cells. In FR rats the volume and volume density of ACTH cells as well as plasma ACTH levels were increased by 17.6%, 12.5% and 13.4%, respectively, in comparison with controls (p<0.05). We concluded that chronic FR is a systemic stressor in young females, capable to stimulate the HPA axis, probably as a result of IL-6 action.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia. dimi@ibiss.bg.ac.rs
authors.forename: Verica Lj
authors.initials: VLj
authors.lastname: Milošević
authors.forename: Vladimir Z
authors.initials: VZ
authors.lastname: Ajdžanović
authors.forename: Desanka B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Bogojević
authors.forename: Ivana M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Medigović
authors.forename: Svetlana K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ivanović-Matić
authors.forename: Vesna I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Martinović
authors.forename: Ilijana I
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Grigorov
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005508:Food Deprivation; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D009929:Organ Size; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012741:Sexual Maturation
chemical_list: D006242:Haptoglobins; D015850:Interleukin-6; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase