Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1974 Jun;239(3):477–498. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010579

The effects of infusions of synthetic adrenocorticotrophin in the conscious calf

A V Edwards, R N Hardy, Krystyna W Malinowska
PMCID: PMC1330955  PMID: 4369304

Abstract

1. A technique is described by which the whole of the effluent blood from the right adrenal gland can be collected as required from conscious, unrestrained calves. The technique may be used to measure adrenal blood flow gravimetrically and to compute the output of adrenal hormones under various conditions in the normal calf.

2. In a group of seven calves mean cortisol output from the right adrenal gland was found to vary between 20 and 40 ng.kg-1 min-1 and corticosterone between 6 and 18 ng.kg-1 min-1 during a 2 hr period, 24 hr after surgery.

3. Intravenous infusions of synthetic adrenocorticotrophin (5 ng.kg-1 min-1) produced a significant increase in the output of both cortisol and corticosterone within 5 min. The output of both hormones rose to maximal values within 10-20 min and mean values of approximately 300 ng.kg-1 min-1 (cortisol) and 120 ng.kg-1 min-1 (corticosterone) were maintained thereafter for the duration of the infusion (120 min). The output of both steroids fell to values comparable with those observed initially within 45-60 min after the infusion was discontinued.

4. These changes in glucocorticoid output in response to adrenocorticotrophin produced a significant rise in the concentration of both cortisol and corticosterone in peripheral plasma. It is noteworthy that the rise in the mean corticosterone concentration in the peripheral plasma was substantially less than that which might be expected from relating the rise in mean plasma cortisol concentration to cortisol output.

5. The results of control experiments have eliminated the possibility that the sampling procedure might itself increase steroid output or peripheral plasma concentration. Comparison of results from calves of widely disparate ages (8-38 days) provided no evidence that either the resting output of cortisol or corticosterone or the response to adrenocorticotrophin changes with age within the range examined.

6. Infusion of adrenocorticotrophin (5 ng.kg-1 min-1) also stimulated an abrupt rise in adrenal blood flow; mean resting flow (210 ± 23 μl.kg-1) increased by approximately 30% within 5 min and attained peak values (355-365 μl.kg-1 min-1) between 10 and 30 min. Thereafter, adrenal blood flow steadily decreased and then fell rapidly to within the resting range when the infusion was terminated. No significant changes in heart rate or aortic blood pressure occurred during these infusions.

7. The results are discussed in relation to those obtained in other species and under differing conditions by other workers.

Full text

PDF
478

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BALFOUR W. E. Changes in the hormone output of the adrenal cortex of the young calf. J Physiol. 1953;122(Suppl):59–60P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BALFOUR W. E. The adrenal cortex in domestic animals. Br Med Bull. 1962 May;18:114–116. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a069950. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BEAVEN D. W., ESPINER E. A., HART D. S. THE SUPPRESSION OF CORTISOL SECRETION BY STEROIDS, AND RESPONSE TO CORTICOTROPHIN, IN SHEEP WITH ADRENAL TRANSPLANTS. J Physiol. 1964 Jun;171:216–230. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1964.sp007373. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BLAIR-WEST J., COGHLAN J., DENTON D. A., GODING J. R., MUNRO J. A., WINTOUR M., WRIGHT R. D. A useful method for collection of adrenal venous blood in conscious sheep. Endocrinology. 1962 Dec;71:990–992. doi: 10.1210/endo-71-6-990. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BUSH I. E. Species differences in adrenocortical secretion. J Endocrinol. 1953 Jan;9(1):95–100. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0090095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Clements A. S., Newsome H. H., Jr Assay of cortisol, corticosterone, 11-deoxycortisol and cortisone in ovine peripheral and adrenal venous plasma. J Endocrinol. 1973 Mar;56(3):413–419. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0560413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DAVIS J. O., CARPENTER C. C., AYERS C. R., BAHN R. C. Relation of anterior pituitary function to aldosterone secretion in conscious dogs. Am J Physiol. 1960 Aug;199:212–216. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1960.199.2.212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Domański E., Barcikowski B., Skubiszewski B. Metoda zbierania zylnej krwi nadnerczowej u owcy w doświadczeniu chronicznym. Acta Physiol Pol. 1968 Sep-Oct;19(5):771–778. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dvorák M. Evaluation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical function in young healthy and diarrhoeic calves by means of insulin hypoglycaemia. Zentralbl Veterinarmed A. 1971 Oct;18(8):653–660. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Eberhart R. J., Patt J. A., Jr Plasma cortisol concentrations in newborn calves. Am J Vet Res. 1971 Dec;32(12):1921–1927. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Espiner E. A., Jensen C. A., Hart D. S. Dynamics of adrenal response to sustained local ACTH infusions in conscious sheep. Am J Physiol. 1972 Mar;222(3):570–577. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1972.222.3.570. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. FRANK H. A., FRANK E. D., KORMAN H., MACCHI I. A., HECHTER O. Corticosteroid output and adrenal blood flow during hemorrhagic shock in the dog. Am J Physiol. 1955 Jul;182(1):24–28. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1955.182.1.24. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HARRISON F. A., MCDONALD I. R., PATERSON J. Y. COMPARISON OF THE APPARENT RATE OF CORTISOL TURNOVER DETERMINED BY ISOTOPE DILUTION AND CORTISOL SECRETION RATE. J Endocrinol. 1964 Jan;28:173–181. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0280173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HECHTER O., MACCHI I. A., KORMAN H., FRANK E. D., FRANK H. A. Quantitative variations in the adrenocortical secretion of dogs. Am J Physiol. 1955 Jul;182(1):29–34. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1955.182.1.29. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. HOLZBAUER M., VOGT M. Corticosteroids in plasma and cells of adrenal venous blood. J Physiol. 1961 Jun;157:137–156. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006711. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. HOLZBAUER M., VOGT M. Functional changes produced in the adrenal cortex of the rat by administration or by release of corticotrophin. J Physiol. 1957 Oct 30;138(3):449–459. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1957.sp005862. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. HUME D. M., NELSON D. H. Adrenal cortical function in surgical shock. Surg Forum. 1955;5:568–575. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Khan M. A., Dickson W. M., Meyers K. M. The effect of low environmental temperature on plasma corticosteroid and glucose concentrations in the newborn calf. J Endocrinol. 1970 Nov;48(3):355–363. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0480355. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Malinowska K. W., Hardy R. N., Nathanielsz P. W. Neonatal adrenocortical function and its possible relation to the uptake of macromolecules by the small intestine of the guinea-pig and rabbit. J Endocrinol. 1972 Nov;55(2):397–404. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0550397. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Malinowska K. W., Nathanielsz P. W. Plasma aldosterone, cortisol and corticosterone concentrations in the new-born guinea-pig. J Physiol. 1974 Jan;236(1):83–93. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1974.sp010423. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. McDONALD I. R., REICH M. Corticosteroid secretion by the autotransplanted adrenal gland of the conscious sheep. J Physiol. 1959 Jun 23;147(1):33–50. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006219. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Nathanielsz P. W., Comline R. S., Silver M., Paisey R. B. Cortisol metabolism in the fetal and neonatal sheep. J Reprod Fertil Suppl. 1972 Apr;16(Suppl):39–59. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Purohit R. C., Estergreen V. L., Jr Corticosteroids in jugular plasma of young dairy calves by a double isotopic dilution derivative method. J Dairy Sci. 1971 Jul;54(7):1093–1095. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(71)85980-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SUZUKI T., YAMASHITA K., MITAMURA T. Muscular exercise and adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid secretion in dogs. Nature. 1958 Mar 8;181(4610):715–715. doi: 10.1038/181715a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Suzuki T., Higashi R., Hirose T., Ikeda H., Tamura K. Adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid secretion in the dog in response to ethanol. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1972 Aug;70(4):736–740. doi: 10.1530/acta.0.0700736. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Urquhart J. Adrenal blood flow and the adrenocortical response to corticotropin. Am J Physiol. 1965 Dec;209(6):1162–1168. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1965.209.6.1162. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Urquhart J., Li C. C. The dynamics of adrenocortical secretion. Am J Physiol. 1968 Jan;214(1):73–85. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.214.1.73. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Whipp S. C., Weber A. F., Usenik E. A., Good A. L. Rates of hydrocortisone and corticosterone secretion in calves. Am J Vet Res. 1967 May;28(124):671–675. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES