Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1969 Jun;202(3):645–660. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1969.sp008832

Stimulation of adrenal glucocorticoid secretion in man by raising the body temperature

K J Collins, J D Few, T J Forward, L A Giec
PMCID: PMC1351434  PMID: 5789941

Abstract

1. Plasma cortisol and corticosterone concentrations increased significantly in eleven resting, unacclimatized subjects after 2 hr exposure to an ambient temperature of 46° C dry bulb, 36° C wet bulb and in two subjects investigated by controlled elevation of body temperature in a hyperthermia test-bed.

2. In the same experiments the urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (17-OHCS) estimated as the 11-oxy and 11-deoxy fractions did not differ significantly in hot and in control conditions.

3. Following an initial fall in plasma cortisol concentration during the first hour of heat exposure, cortisol levels increased in the second hour when body temperatures exceeded a `critical' level of 38·3° C. Two acclimatized subjects did not attain this body temperature even after 2 hr heating and showed no increase in plasma glucocorticoid levels.

4. Sweat collected in arm bags, or by suction, in controlled hyperthermia experiments contained negligible amounts of cortisol (0·34-1·70 μg/100 ml. sweat).

5. Changes in plasma cortisol specific activity after intravenous injection of 1,2[3H]cortisol indicated that the raised plasma concentration was brought about by increased adrenal secretion, though this was accompanied by more rapid removal of cortisol from the circulation in hot conditions. Excretion of tritium by the kidney was not significantly altered. It was not possible to determine whether changes in liver function contributed to the elevation of the plasma cortisol level but it was found that a larger proportion of cortisol was oxidized to cortisone, or to a metabolite closely resembling cortisone, in the heat.

Full text

PDF
657

Selected References

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

  1. AGERSBORG H. P., Jr, BARLOW G., KEYS H. E. Blood levels of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in hyperthermic dogs. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1956 Nov;93(2):280–284. doi: 10.3181/00379727-93-22732. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ANDERSSON B., GALE C. C., HOEKFELT B., OHGA A. RELATION OF PREOPTIC TEMPERATURE TO THE FUNCTION OF THE SYMPATHICO--ADRENOMEDULLARY SYSTEM AND THE ADRENAL CORTEX. Acta Physiol Scand. 1964 May-Jun;61:182–191. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1964.tb02954.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. BASS D. E., HENSCHEL A. Responses of body fluid compartments to heat and cold. Physiol Rev. 1956 Jan;36(1):128–144. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1956.36.1.128. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BROWN H., ENGLERT E., Jr, WALLACH S., SIMONS E. L. Metabolism of free and conjugated 17-hydroxycorticosteroids in normal subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1957 Oct;17(10):1191–1201. doi: 10.1210/jcem-17-10-1191. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BUSH I. E. Chemical and biological factors in the activity of adrenocortical steroids. Pharmacol Rev. 1962 Sep;14:317–445. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. BUSH I. E. Methods of paper chromatography of steroids applicable to the study of steroids in mammalian blood and tissues. Biochem J. 1952 Jan;50(3):370–378. doi: 10.1042/bj0500370. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Beisel W. R., Goldman R. F., Joy R. J. Metabolic balance studies during induced hyperthermia in man. J Appl Physiol. 1968 Jan;24(1):1–10. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1968.24.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Bligh J. The thermosensitivity of the hypothalamus and thermoregulation in mammals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 1966 Aug;41(3):317–368. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.1966.tb01496.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. COLLINS K. J., GRAY C. H., HELLMANN K., JONES R. M., LUNNON J. B., WEINER J. S. The excretion of urinary adrenocortical steroids during heat stress. J Endocrinol. 1956 Nov;14(3):209–216. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0140209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Chowers I., Hammel H. T., Eisenman J., Abrams R. M., McCann S. M. Comparison of effect of environmental and preoptic heating and pyrogen on plasma cortisol. Am J Physiol. 1966 Mar;210(3):606–610. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1966.210.3.606. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Collins K. J., Few J. D., Forward T. J., Giec L. A. The plasma glucorticoid response to environmental heat stress. J Physiol. 1968 Jan;194(1):33P–34P. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Collins K. J., Weiner J. S. Endocrinological aspects of exposure to high environmental temperatures. Physiol Rev. 1968 Oct;48(4):785–839. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1968.48.4.785. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. EGDAHL R. H., RICHARDS J. B. Effect of acute hyperthermia on adrenal 17-hydroxycorticosteroid secretion in dogs. Am J Physiol. 1956 Sep;186(3):435–439. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1956.186.3.435. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. FALBRIARD A., MULLER A. F., NEHER R., MACH R. S. Etude des variations de l'aldostéronurie sous l'effet de surcharges en potassium et de déperditions rénales et extrarenales de sel et d'eau. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1955 Dec 10;85(50):1218–1220. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. FEW J. D. A method for the analysis of urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. J Endocrinol. 1961 Mar;22:31–46. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0220031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. FLOOD C., LAYNE D. S., RAMCHARAN S., ROSSIPAL E., TAIT J. F., TAIT S. A. An investigation of the urinary metabolites and secretion rates of aldosterone and cortisol in man and a description of methods for their measurement. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 1961 Feb;36:237–264. doi: 10.1530/acta.0.0360237. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Few J. D. A simple method for the separate estimation of 11-deoxy and 11-oxygenated 17-hydroxycortico-steroids in human urine. J Endocrinol. 1968 Jun;41(2):213–222. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.0410213. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Few J. D., Forward T. J. The quantitative thin layer chromatography of corticosteroids. J Chromatogr. 1968 Jul 23;36(1):63–73. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)92911-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. HALE H. B., SAYERS G., SYDNOR K. L., SWEAT M. L., VAN FOSSAN D. D. Blood adrenocorticotrophic hormone and plasma corticosteroids in men exposed to adverse environmental conditions. J Clin Invest. 1957 Dec;36(12):1642–1646. doi: 10.1172/JCI103564. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. INGRAM D. L., McLEAN J. A., WHITTOW G. C. Increase of evaporative loss of water from the skin of the ox in response to local heating of the hypothalamus. Nature. 1961 Jul 1;191:81–82. doi: 10.1038/191081a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Ichikawa Y. Metabolism of cotisol-4-C in patients with infectious and collagen diseases. Metabolism. 1966 Jul;15(7):613–625. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(66)90123-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Jenkins J. S., Sampson P. A. Conversion of cortisone to cortisol and prednisone to prednisolone. Br Med J. 1967 Apr 22;2(5546):205–207. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5546.205. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. ROBINSON K. W., MACFARLANE W. V. Urinary excretion of adrenal steroids during exercise in hot atmospheres. J Appl Physiol. 1958 Jan;12(1):13–16. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1958.12.1.13. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES