ISSN:
1435-1463
Keywords:
Calcitonin
;
dexamethasone
;
beta-endorphin
;
ACTH
;
hypothalamus
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Our previous observations have shown that calcitonin (CT) stimulates β-endorphin, ACTH, and cortisol secretion. In order to give further information on the supposed hypothalamic pituitary involvement in this effect, we studied the influence of dexamethasone on this stimulative influence of CT. Six healthy women aged 50–65 years were investigated. All the subjects received 100 U CT salmon (Sandoz) i.v. at 0800 (0 time). Plasma β-endorphin, ACTH, and cortisol were estimated every 30 min from −30 to 120 min by specific radioimmunoassays. The same subjects were evaluated a second time, at the same intervals, when 1 mg dexamethasone was administered per os at 11 PM the previous night and CT i.v. at 0800 the next morning. β-endorphin, ACTH, and cortisol levels (mean±SEM) rose significantly after 100 U CT from 5.6±0.17 to 16.75±1.8 pmol/L (p〈0.001); from 39.6±6 to 88.0±3.1 pg/ml (p〈0.0001) (from 8.7±1.3 to 19.4±0.7pmol/ L); and from 13.1±1.6 to 23.8±3.0μg/dl (p〈0.0001) [374±45 to 680±85 nmol/L], respectively. Dexamethasone suppressed almost completely the stimulatory effect of CT β-endorphin rose from 4.9±0.12 to 6.3±1.3 pmol/L (n.s.), ACTH from 38.6±5.1 to 42.6±6.2 pg/ml (n.s.) (from 8.5±1.1 to 9.4±0.9 pmol/L) and cortisol from 0.88±0.23 to 0.88±0.18 ng/dl (n.s.) (from 25.1±6.5 to 25.0±5.1 nmol/L). β-endorphin and cortisol rose significantly after 50 and 25 U CT but less than after 100 U CT. 50 U CT increased the β-enorphin and cortisol levels from 4.8±0.49 to 7.98±0.4pmol/L(p〈0.05) and from 10.46±1.48 to 16.4±3.3/ dl (p〈0.05) (from 299±42 to 468±95 nmol/L), respectively. 25 U CT increased the β-endorphin and cortisol levels from 4.6±0.58 to 5.9±0.88 pmol/L (p〈0.05) and from 10.90±1.00 to 15.35±1.8 μg/dl (p〈0.05) (from 311±28 to 438±51 nmol/L). Dexamethasone is known to inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The inhibition of the CT stimulative effect on β-endorphin, ACTH, and cortisol observed in this study enforces our idea that CT exerts this effect by stimulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01245014
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