Adrenal cortex Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Within-breed artificial insemination and between-breed embryo transfer were carried out in small pony (P) and large Thoroughbred (Tb) mares to create 4 types of horse pregnancy in which the fetus experienced spatial and nutritional... more

Within-breed artificial insemination and between-breed embryo transfer were carried out in small pony (P) and large Thoroughbred (Tb) mares to create 4 types of horse pregnancy in which the fetus experienced spatial and nutritional deprivation (Tb-in-P; n=8), luxury (P-in-Tb; n=7) or normality (Tb-in-Tb; n=7 and P-in-P; n=7) in utero. Measurement of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG), total conjugated oestrogens and progestagen concentrations in serial peripheral serum samples recovered from all the mares throughout gestation showed that the amount of eCG produced during the first half of gestation was dependent upon the breed of the mare rather than the breed of the fetus being carried. In contrast, the mean total amounts of oestrogens produced, as measured by area under the curve, were significantly greater (P=0.003) in the two types of pregnancy in which a Thoroughbred fetus was being carried (Tb-in-Tb and Tb-in-P) than those in which a pony fetus was gestated (P-in-P and P-in-...

SP-22 is a mitochondrial antioxidant protein in bovine adrenal cortex. The protein is homologous to thioredoxin peroxidase and other antioxidant proteins. It protects radical-sensitive enzymes from oxidative damage by a radical-generating... more

SP-22 is a mitochondrial antioxidant protein in bovine adrenal cortex. The protein is homologous to thioredoxin peroxidase and other antioxidant proteins. It protects radical-sensitive enzymes from oxidative damage by a radical-generating system (Fe2+/dithiothreitol) in the presence of a small amount of serum. In this study we purified a second mitochondrial protein with Mr 11,777, which cooperates with SP-22 to protect glutamine synthetase and other proteins from Fe2+/dithiothreitol-mediated damage. Without SP-22, the protein had no protecting activity. We determined amino acid and nucleotide sequences of the protein and its cDNA, respectively, and found that it was a protein of the thioredoxin family. The protein, designated as mt-Trx (mitochondrial thioredoxin), had a presequence composed of 59 amino acids that seemed to be a mitochondrial targeting signal. Mitochondrial extract prepared from adrenal cortex contained NADPH-dependent 5,5'dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (Nbs2) r...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of prena- tal corticotherapy and neonatal outcome in newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis. Methods: This was a retrospective study evaluating 173 newborns diagnosed with... more

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of prena- tal corticotherapy and neonatal outcome in newborns with necrotizing enterocolitis. Methods: This was a retrospective study evaluating 173 newborns diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis. Newborns were divided into two groups, with group 1 containing subjects who had received corticoids in the prenatal period, and group 2 with those

Reports on the clinico-pathology and mechanisms of trypanosomosis in free-living and captive wild animals showed that clinical disease and outbreaks occur more commonly among captive than free-living wild animals. This is because the... more

Reports on the clinico-pathology and mechanisms of trypanosomosis in free-living and captive wild animals showed that clinical disease and outbreaks occur more commonly among captive than free-living wild animals. This is because the free-living wild animals co-exist with the disease until subjected to captivity. In exceptional cases however, draught, starvation and intercurrent diseases often compromised trypanotolerance leading to overt trypanosomosis in free-living wild animals. Meanwhile, in captivity, space restriction, reduced social interactions, change in social herd structure, reduced specie-to-specie specific behaviors, altered habitat and translocation were the major stressors that precipitated the disease. The cumulative effect of these factors produced severe physiological and somatic stress leading to diminished immune response due to increased blood cortisol output from adrenal cortex. The major symptoms manifested were pyrexia, innapetence, increased respiration, anaemia, cachexia and death. At necropsy, pulmonary oedema, splenomegally, hepatomegally, lympadenopathy and atrophy of body fats were the gross changes encountered. At the ultra-structural level, the tissues manifested degenerative changes, haemorghages, necrosis and mononuclear cellular infiltrations. The mechanisms of cellular and tissue injuries were primarily associated with physical and metabolic activities of the organisms. From the foregoing, it is evident that stress is the underlying mechanism that compromises trypanotolerance in wild animals leading to severe clinico-pathological effects.

Adrenal cortical carcinoma is a rare diagnosis and may present with hormone secretion. A histological differentiation between an adrenal cortical adenoma and carcinoma can be very difficult. However, a fast diagnosis including staging and... more

Adrenal cortical carcinoma is a rare diagnosis and may present with hormone secretion. A histological differentiation between an adrenal cortical adenoma and carcinoma can be very difficult. However, a fast diagnosis including staging and complete surgical resection is pivotal for the prognosis of an adrenal cortical carcinoma. Metastasing adrenal cortical carcinoma should be treated with a mitotane based chemotherapy, and inclusion in the "firm-act study" is highly recommended. The present case report demonstrates the diagnostic pitfalls in a female patients with Cushing's syndrome who suffered from metastasing adrenal cortical carcinoma.

The ultrastructural study of adrenal gland from mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi, in addition to intravascular and intracellular trypanosomes, showed different degrees of cortical cell alterations and capillary wall... more

The ultrastructural study of adrenal gland from mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma evansi, in addition to intravascular and intracellular trypanosomes, showed different degrees of cortical cell alterations and capillary wall modifications. Beside its biological scope, these results suggest a role for the adrenal cortex to partake in Surra's etiopathogenesis and describe for the very first time a T. evansi intracellular stage.

The effect of 4-APP (4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine), the compound reducing hepatic release of lipoproteins, on the rat adrenal cortex was studied by means of stereological methods. Within 3 days 4-APP resulted in a marked increase in the... more

The effect of 4-APP (4-aminopyrazolopyrimidine), the compound reducing hepatic release of lipoproteins, on the rat adrenal cortex was studied by means of stereological methods. Within 3 days 4-APP resulted in a marked increase in the absolute and relative adrenal weights and markedly lowered plasma and adrenal total cholesterol concentration. 4-APP did not change the relative volume of individual adrenocortical zones, however significantly increased the volume in mm3 of the zona fasciculata (ZF) and reticularis (ZR) and of the entire cortex. The average volume of the ZF and ZR cells of 4-APP treated rats was markedly higher than in control rats while no difference was found in the zona glomerulosa (ZG) cell. In lipoprotein-deficient rats the number of adrenocortical cells within the entire cortex was similar to that observed in control rats. A marked increase in the number of mitoses in both, adrenocortical and endothelial cells suggests inhibitory action of 4-APP on the proliferati...

Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) is an endothelial cell-specific adhesion protein that is localised at cell-cell contacts. This molecule is an important determinant of vascular architecture and endothelial cell survival. In the... more

Vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin) is an endothelial cell-specific adhesion protein that is localised at cell-cell contacts. This molecule is an important determinant of vascular architecture and endothelial cell survival. In the adrenal cortex, steroidogenic and endothelial cells form a complex architecture. The adrenocorticotrophin hormone (ACTH) regulates gland homeostasis whose secretion is subjected to a negative feedback by adrenocorticosteroids. The aim of

<p>Fasting (basal, 0 minutes) and stimulated blood glucose levels (mM) were measured at 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes post oral glucose gavage (A). Glucose area under the curve (AUC) was calculated based on fasting blood glucose... more

<p>Fasting (basal, 0 minutes) and stimulated blood glucose levels (mM) were measured at 5, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes post oral glucose gavage (A). Glucose area under the curve (AUC) was calculated based on fasting blood glucose of individual animals (A′). Fasting (basal, 0 minutes) and glucose-stimulated insulin levels (ng/ml) were measured at 15, 30, 60, and 120 minutes post oral glucose gavage (B). Insulin area under the curve (AUC) was calculated based on fasting individual insulin levels within each group (B′). To measure insulin capacity acute insulin response (AIR) was measured by the difference in insulin levels between fasting insulin and 15 minutes post glucose gavage (C). Negative values represent a decrease in insulin response, indicating impairment in insulin secretion. Bars that do not share similar letters denote statistical significance, p<0.05, one-way ANOVA using Tukey's post-hoc. A student's unpaired t-test was performed between controls and ROD, C108297 and C113176 groups (C). n = 7–10. All values are means ± SE.</p

Under the assumption that the impaired inhibitory effect of glucocorticoids on cell division is an important determinant in the progression of corticotrophic adenomas, it is postulated that the magnitude of proliferation and the... more

Under the assumption that the impaired inhibitory effect of glucocorticoids on cell division is an important determinant in the progression of corticotrophic adenomas, it is postulated that the magnitude of proliferation and the resistance to glucocorticoids are correlated. To test this hypothesis, 67 dogs with pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism were studied to determine whether a correlation could be demonstrated between the effect of dexamethasone administration on the activity of the pituitary-adrenocortical axis and the size of the pituitary gland as estimated by computed tomography. The volumes of the pituitary glands as calculated from summations of subsequent images of pituitary areas, ranged from 11.8 to 3238.6 mm3. Among the three dimensions, the height of the pituitary was the most sensitive indicator of enlargement. Calculation of the pituitary height/brain area ratio (P/B ratio) allowed correction for the size of the dog. The P/B ratio had the highest discriminatory power in distinguishing enlarged (n = 41) from non-enlarged (n = 26) pituitaries. The effects of dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg) on the plasma concentrations of cortisol and ACTH and on the urinary corticoid/creatinine (C/C) ratios were expressed as percentage changes from the initial values. For ACTH, cortisol and C/C ratios these figures for resistance to dexamethasone were significantly correlated with the dimensions of the pituitary, particularly the height, volume and P/B ratio. It is concluded that the magnitude of the expansion of pituitary corticotrophic adenomas is dependent upon the loss of restraint by glucocorticoids, i.e. the degree of insensitivity to glucocorticoid feedback.

SALL1 was originally identified on the basis of its DNA sequence homology to the region-specific homeotic gene Sal, in Drosophila melanogaster, which acts as a down- stream target of hedgehog/tumor growth factor--like decapentaplegic... more

SALL1 was originally identified on the basis of its DNA sequence homology to the region-specific homeotic gene Sal, in Drosophila melanogaster, which acts as a down- stream target of hedgehog/tumor growth factor--like decapentaplegic signals. The SALL1 gene has been associ- ated with the Townes-Brocks Syndrome (TBS), a disorder characterized by multiorgan dysgenesis including renal and genital malformations. In this study,

Concepts and facts concerning immune-neuroendocrine interactions are discussed. The immune response elicits endocrine, autonomic, and brain functional changes. These changes can be mediated by soluble factors released by activated... more

Concepts and facts concerning immune-neuroendocrine interactions are discussed. The immune response elicits endocrine, autonomic, and brain functional changes. These changes can be mediated by soluble factors released by activated immunologic cells. As a result of these immune-neuroendocrine interactions the content of powerful agents such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides in the microenvironment of immunologic cells is modified. This leads to external immunoregulatory signals imposed upon autoregulatory mechanisms.

Biologically inert material in feces may confound interpretations of noninvasive fecal endocrine data, because it may induce variance related to differences in foraging behavior rather than to differences in endocrine activity. We... more

Biologically inert material in feces may confound interpretations of noninvasive fecal endocrine data, because it may induce variance related to differences in foraging behavior rather than to differences in endocrine activity. We evaluated two different enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for the noninvasive evaluation of adrenocortical activity in ground-feeding aardwolves (Proteles cristata) and tested the influence of soil content in aardwolf feces on the interpretation of fecal glucocorticoid metabolite data. Using adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenges for validation, we successfully identified a cortisol EIA suitable for assessing adrenocortical activity in aardwolves. An alternatively tested 11-oxoetiocholanolone EIA failed to detect a biologically relevant signal after ACTH administration. Although the proportion of inorganic content in aardwolf feces did not alter qualitative conclusions from the endocrine data, the data related to mass of organic content had a larger amount...