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Query: UNIPROT:P01189 (beta-endorphin)
 21,003 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Advantage was taken of a specific and sensitive bioassay for rat plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) based on the dispersion of rat adrenal cells with trysin, to investigate the relationship between plasma corticosterone concentration and inhibition of ACTH release under steady-state conditions achieved by graded rates (0-5.12 mug/min per 100 g body weight) of intravenous infusion of the steroid for 45 min in 28-day adrenalectomized rats. In contrast to prior reports involving suppression of stress-induced ACTH release, the inhibitory effect of corticosterone was shown, under our experimental conditions, to be exerted also on the basal rate of ACTH secretion. Indeed, a slight though not significant decrease of plasma ACTH concentration was observed with the corticosterone infusion rate of 0.64 mg/min per 100 g body weight, and further progressive and highly significant drops in concentration were recorded for infusion rates of 2.56 and 5.12 mg/min per 100 g body weight. An increase of the metabolic clearance rate of corticosterone, observed as a function of the infusion rate, was ascribed to saturation by the steroid of the plasma transcortin binding sites.
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PMID:Feedback inhibition of adrenocorticotropin release by corticosterone infusions in the adrenalectomized rat. 16 24

Cortisol concentrations in human seminal plasma, as estimated by the very specific Amersham 'Amerlite' luminescence immunoassay, were 176 +/- 43 (85-260) nmol/l, that is, 63.7 +/- 15.5 (31-94) ng/ml (mean +/- SD, n = 21). This is about 60% of random levels in blood serum and is the first description of cortisol in seminal fluid. In human amniotic fluid at 16-22 weeks of gestation, cortisol concentrations were lower, at 72.6 +/- 14.6 (63-124) nmol/l, that is, 29.3 +/- 5.3 (23-45) ng/ml (n = 21). Concentrations were about 15% of random maternal serum levels in the second trimester of pregnancy. The cortisol concentrations in both fluids were considerably higher than those reported for saliva, which has a mean of about 10 nmol/l. Transcortin (corticosteroid binding globulin, CBG), has been found in human seminal plasma and amniotic fluid for the first time. Concentrations were low, with values up to 12 micrograms/ml, with no significant difference between the two fluids, when using the IRE-Megenix monoclonal iodinated radioimmunoassay. Transcortin concentrations were about 10% of levels in non-pregnant blood serum, compared with about 0.1% for saliva. The higher concentrations of transcortin could perhaps account for the greater diffusion of cortisol into seminal plasma and amniotic fluid. The presence of beta-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol in amniotic fluid, seminal fluid, ovarian follicular fluid, endometrial fluid and gastric fluid may possibly, indicate the existence of a small paracrine ACTH-cortisol axis in the relevant secretory tissues.
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PMID:Cortisol and transcortin in human seminal plasma and amniotic fluid as estimated by modern specific assays. 224 Jun 17

To verify the influence of the protein binding status of steroids adjacent to adrenal cells on steroidogenesis, the effect of transcortin, a specific binding protein of cortisol or corticosterone, on adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-stimulated corticosterone production in monolayer cultured rat adrenal cells was studied. The transcortin in concentration of 5 x 10(-7) M was loaded with 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 pg/ml ACTH-(1-24), and the cells were incubated for 2 and 4 hours. Since molar concentrations of corticosterone produced in the medium were below the transcortin concentration at all levels of stimulation, protein-unbound corticosterone in the medium may have been largely reduced by the addition of transcortin. However, the total corticosterone production was not influenced by the transcortin added to the medium. It was speculated that protein-unbound steroid within the concentration range modulated by transcortin in the area surrounding the adrenal cells may not affect adrenal steroidogenesis.
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PMID:The influence of transcortin on adrenocorticotropin-stimulated corticosterone production in monolayer cultured rat adrenal cells. 283 Jan 1

The serum levels of adrenal androgens (aa) are lower in oophorectomized (OO) than in ovulating (OV) women. This study was carried out in an effort to further investigate these findings and to study the effects of administration of estrogen on the levels of aa in OO women. Ten OO and seven OV women participated in this study in which aa were measured basally and after stimulation with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), both before and 4 weeks after conjugated estrogens (CE). Seven women received 0.625 mg of CE, and five received 2.5 mg of CE. Compared to OV women, OO women had significantly lower levels of androstenedione (Adione), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEA-S), testosterone (T), delta 5-androstenediol (Adiol), and 17 beta-estradiol (E2) (p less than 0.01). In response to ACTH, OO women had smaller responses to Adione (p less than 0.05), DHEA (p less than 0.005), DHEA-S (p less than 0.01), 17-OH progesterone (17 Prog) (p less than 0.01), and 17-OH pregnenolone (17 Preg) (p less than 0.1). Furthermore, after ACTH, the ratio of 17 Prog/Adione was significantly higher in OO women (p less than 0.01), thus suggesting reduced 17,20-demolase (17,20D?) activity. Similarly, OO women had higher ratios of 127 Preg/17 Prog (p less than 0.1), DHEA/Adione (p less than 0.01), and Adiol/T (p less than 0.01), thereby suggesting reduced 3 beta ol dehydrogenase-isomerase (3 beta ol) activity. In response to CE, there was a dose-related increase in aa and cortisol. After 2.5 mg of CE, aa were significantly higher and similar to those levels in OV women. despite the known increases in sex hormone binding globulin-finding capacity and transcortin after estrogen, unbound T increased slightly, as did urinary free cortisol in women treated with 2.5 mg of CE. After treatment with estrogen, there was a dose-related change in the ACTH-stimulated steroid ratios that indicated and increase in 17,20D and 2 beta ol activities. In women who were gien 2.5 mg of CE, these enzyme activities were similar to those in OV women.
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PMID:The effects of estrogen on adrenal androgens in oophorectomized women. 627 96

The possible role of steroid binding proteins in the hormonal secretion process of a steroidogenic tissue was examined using bovine adrenocortical cell suspensions, either under basal conditions or in the presence of half-maximally active concentration (1 x 10(-9) M) of synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Three types of plasma cortisol binding proteins were used, namely bovine serum albumine (BSA), purified transcortin (CBG) and purified anticortisol immunoglobulins (IgG). When added to the incubation medium, CBG (at 1 x 10(-10) to 2 x 10(-9) M cortisol binding sites) and anticortisol IgG (at 4.8 x 10(-10) to 3 x 10(-9) M cortisol binding sites) did not influence either the basal nor the ACTH-stimulated net cortisol production of the cell preparations. Whereas crystallized and delipidated BSA showed also no effect, crude commercial BSA preparation (Cohn fraction V) exhibited an ACTH-like cofactor effect which resulted in a marked increase in the net cortisol production by stimulated cells. These observations might be explained by the presence in crude BSA of lipoprotein-cholesterol complexes, possibly acting as an extracellular source of cholesterol available for corticosteroidogenesis. It may be concluded that specific high affinity cortisol binding systems present outside adrenocortical steroidogenic cells do not influence their secretory activity under short term in vitro condition. In addition, it can be stressed that use of ill defined protein preparations (e.g. crude BSA) may lead to artifactual observations in the study of the differentiated functions of isolated steroidogenic cells.
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PMID:Effect of corticosteroid binding proteins on the steroidogenic activity of bovine adrenocortical cell suspensions. 628 6

The plasma concentration of N-terminal beta-lipotrophin (beta-LPH), total and protein unbound cortisol, progesterone and the transcortin (CBG) binding parameters have been measured in 21 women in the early follicular phase and in 70 pregnant women at various stages of pregnancy. Results showed that the plasma CBG binding capacity and the concentrations of total cortisol and progesterone increased significantly at each trimester of pregnancy while the plasma concentration of unbound cortisol increased significantly only in the 2nd and the 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. In addition, a significant increase of N-terminal beta-LPH level was observed during the 3rd trimester. By chromatography, it is demonstrated that during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy the beta-LPH/gamma-LPH molar ratio decreases dramatically and that the increase of N-terminal beta-LPH concentration is mainly due to a two fold increase in gamma-LPH concentration.
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PMID:Increased plasma concentration of N-terminal beta-lipotrophin and unbound cortisol during pregnancy. 671 91

This study has been carried out to examine (i) transcortin or corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), the major glucocorticoid transport protein, in major depressed versus minor depressed and normal subjects; and (ii) the relationships between CBG and basal and postdexamethasone cortisol or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) values. Serum CBG was significantly lower in major depressed than in minor depressed subjects and normal controls. The significant decrease in serum CBG was observed in major depressed women but not in major depressed men. In depressed subjects, there was a significant and negative relationship between serum CBG and severity of illness. There were significant positive relationships between serum CBG and basal 8:00 a.m. plasma cortisol in normal volunteers (r = 0.87, P < 10(-4)) and depressed subjects (r = 0.40, P = 0.0002). There was no significant relationship between serum CBG and 24-h urinary cortisol. In depressed patients, there was a positive relationship between serum CBG and postdexamethasone cortisol (r = 0.31, P = 0.003). It is concluded that, in depression, serum CBG levels should be taken into consideration for the interpretation of baseline and postdexamethasone plasma total cortisol levels.
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PMID:Lower serum transcortin (CBG) in major depressed females: relationships with baseline and postdexamethasone cortisol values. 873 58

In this placebo-controlled double-blind study, psychological and endocrine stress responses were investigated in healthy postmenopausal placebo-treated women (n = 15; 60-75 years; placebo via transdermal patches), healthy postmenopausal estradiol-treated women (n = 13; 60-79 years; 0.1 mg 17beta-estradiol daily via transdermal patches) and young controls (n = 15; 20-31 years; untreated). The aged subjects received estradiol or placebo treatment for 14 days. All subjects were then exposed to the 'Trier Social Stress Test' (TSST) and the dexamethasone (Dex)-human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) test (100 microgram hCRH after premedication with 1.5 mg Dex). Psychological parameters including perceived stressfulness, mood and subjective well-being were measured by visual analog scales, a mood questionnaire and a mood diary, respectively. Results show that the TSST induced significant increases in adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), free salivary cortisol, total plasma cortisol and heart rates (all p < 0.0001). Regardless of age, comparable hormonal response patterns were observed in the TSST as indicated by similar peak levels and recovery phases. Visual analog scales confirmed that the same amount of stress was experienced by young and elderly subjects. In both age groups, hCRH injection after Dex premedication provoked significant increases in ACTH, free salivary cortisol and total plasma cortisol (all p < 0.0001). In contrast to the psychosocial stressor, elderly women were found to respond with a markedly enhanced cortisol response compared to young controls in the Dex-CRH test (p < 0.025). Additional investigation of morning cortisol profiles could not reveal any age-related differences in basal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Following estradiol treatment, estradiol levels significantly increased only in substituted postmenopausal women (p < 0.001) reaching concentrations typically found in younger women during the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Corticosteroid-binding globulin levels did not differ significantly between groups. When confronted with the TSST, no response differences emerged between the three groups. However, estradiol treatment appeared to blunt the total plasma cortisol response in the Dex-CRH test, resulting in smaller increases in untreated premenopausal women and estradiol-treated postmenopausal women compared to placebo-treated postmenopausal women (p < 0.02). In sum, no response differences were observed after confrontation with a psychosocial stress test in our sample of healthy elderly subjects. As shown with the Dex-CRH test, our data suggest that the negative feedback of the HPA axis in elderly women is altered. Moreover, the current data suggest that estradiol replacement may modulate HPA feedback sensitivity in humans.
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PMID:Psychological and endocrine responses to psychosocial stress and dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone in healthy postmenopausal women and young controls: the impact of age and a two-week estradiol treatment. 1065 35

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity is governed by glucocorticoid negative feedback and the magnitude of this signal is determined, in part, by variations in plasma corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) capacity. Here, in gonadectomized male rats we examine the extent to which different testosterone replacement levels impact on CBG and HPA function. Compared with gonadectomized rats with low testosterone replacement ( approximately 2 ng/ml), plasma adrenocorticotropin and beta-endorphin/beta-lipotropin responses to restraint stress were reduced in gonadectomized rats with high testosterone replacement ( approximately 5 ng/ml). Plasma CBG levels also varied negatively as a function of testosterone concentration. Moreover, glucocorticoid receptor binding in the liver was elevated by higher testosterone replacement, suggesting that testosterone acts to enhance glucocorticoid suppression of CBG synthesis. Since pituitary intracellular CBG (or transcortin) is derived from plasma, this prompted us to examine whether transcortin binding was similarly responsive to different testosterone replacement levels. Transcortin binding was lower in gonadectomized rats with high plasma testosterone replacement ( approximately 7 ng/ml) than in gonadectomized rats with low testosterone replacement ( approximately 2 ng/ml). This testosterone-dependent decrease in pituitary transcortin was associated, in vitro, with an enhanced nuclear uptake of corticosterone. These findings indicate that the inhibitory effects of testosterone on corticotrope responses to stress may be linked to decrements in plasma and intrapituitary CBG. This could permit greater access of corticosterone to its receptors and enhance glucocorticoid feedback regulation of ACTH release and/or proopiomelanocortin processing.
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PMID:Testosterone-dependent variations in plasma and intrapituitary corticosteroid binding globulin and stress hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity in the male rat. 1512 71

The hypothalamic components of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) are corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin. To test the hypothesis that HPA regulation changes with age, we compared ether and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection induced stress reactions in adult and 10-day-old Brattleboro rats, which naturally lack vasopressin owing to mutation of the gene (di/di). The LPS stimulus was used also with V(1b) receptor antagonist pretreatment (SSR149415). In adult di/di or V(1b) pretreated rats, we observed normal pituitary and adrenocortical secretory responses, while in all 10-day-old rats stress-induced serum corticosterone increases were marked, but adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) increases were significantly smaller. Compared to control pups the adenohypophysis of the 10-day-old di/di rats responded normally to CRH, but their adrenal glands were hyper-responsive to ACTH, while in adults there was greater secretion at both levels with no difference between the genotypes. The serum transcortin level was higher in adults than pups, with the di/di pups having higher transcortin levels than controls. Hence, using the same stressors in adults and pups with both a genetic model and pharmacological pretreatment, we have shown that the role of vasopressin in ACTH regulation is more important during the neonatal period than in adulthood. Blunted hypophysial sensitivity to CRH and similar adrenal gland sensitivity to ACTH in the pups compared to adults suggest that hypothalamic factors could be responsible for the neonatal stress hyporesponsive period.
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PMID:Congenital absence of vasopressin and age-dependent changes in ACTH and corticosterone stress responses in rats. 2143 69


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