TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased fetal secretion of ACTH and cortisol by arginine vasopressin
AU - Faucher, D. J.
AU - Laptook, A. R.
AU - Parker, C. R.
AU - Porter, J. C.
AU - Rosenfeld, C. R.
PY - 1988
Y1 - 1988
N2 - In the fetus, arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been considered a 'stress' hormone with primarily cardiovascular effects. In adult animals, AVP also has substantial endocrine effects, e.g., acting as a corticotropin-releasing factor, an effect not clearly demonstrated in the fetus. Therefore we examined this action of AVP in fetal sheep [135 ± 1 (SE) days gestation] during a 30-min vasopressin infusion (12 mU/min) while monitoring mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Blood samples were obtained before, 15 and 30 min during and 30 and/or 60 min after the infusion. During vasopressin infusion (n = 11), MAP increased (P < 0.01), whereas HR fell (P < 0.01). Plasma AVP increased from 2.32 ± 0.22 to 84 ± 6.8 and 89 ± 10 μU/ml (P < 0.001), whereas adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) rose from 18.0 ± 2.4 to 27.7 ± 3.7 and 43.4 ± 8.0 pg/ml (P < 0.05) and cortisol from 1.81 ± 0.36 to 3.48 ± 0.56 and 3.97 ± 0.57 μg/dl (P < 0.005) at 15 and 30 min, respectively. Although neither basal nor AVP-induced ACTH increases changed over the period of gestation studied, base-line cortisol concentrations and the absolute rise in ACTH-stimulated cortisol release increased as gestation progressed, demonstrating increased adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. As in adults, AVP stimulates fetal pituitary secretion of ACTH, providing evidence for another role for AVP in fetal adaptation.
AB - In the fetus, arginine vasopressin (AVP) has been considered a 'stress' hormone with primarily cardiovascular effects. In adult animals, AVP also has substantial endocrine effects, e.g., acting as a corticotropin-releasing factor, an effect not clearly demonstrated in the fetus. Therefore we examined this action of AVP in fetal sheep [135 ± 1 (SE) days gestation] during a 30-min vasopressin infusion (12 mU/min) while monitoring mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Blood samples were obtained before, 15 and 30 min during and 30 and/or 60 min after the infusion. During vasopressin infusion (n = 11), MAP increased (P < 0.01), whereas HR fell (P < 0.01). Plasma AVP increased from 2.32 ± 0.22 to 84 ± 6.8 and 89 ± 10 μU/ml (P < 0.001), whereas adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) rose from 18.0 ± 2.4 to 27.7 ± 3.7 and 43.4 ± 8.0 pg/ml (P < 0.05) and cortisol from 1.81 ± 0.36 to 3.48 ± 0.56 and 3.97 ± 0.57 μg/dl (P < 0.005) at 15 and 30 min, respectively. Although neither basal nor AVP-induced ACTH increases changed over the period of gestation studied, base-line cortisol concentrations and the absolute rise in ACTH-stimulated cortisol release increased as gestation progressed, demonstrating increased adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. As in adults, AVP stimulates fetal pituitary secretion of ACTH, providing evidence for another role for AVP in fetal adaptation.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 2831741
AN - SCOPUS:0023910958
SN - 0002-9513
VL - 254
SP - 23/3
JO - American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
JF - American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
IS - 3
ER -