ISSN:
1460-9568
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Glucocorticoids and neurosteroids, such as allopregnanolone and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone, are released during stress. A non-genomic effect of glucocorticoids has been established but is not yet fully understood. We have studied the effect of glucocorticoid metabolites on the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system. In these experiments we studied the effects of the glucocorticoid metabolites allotetrahydrocortisol, tetrahydrocortisol, allotetrahydrocortisone and tetrahydrocortisone in rat cortical microsacs. Our results showed that both these cortisol and cortisone metabolites reduce GABA-mediated chloride ion uptake. This reduction was not observed in the presence of allopregnanolone but allotetrahydrocortisol interacts with allopregnanolone, enhancing the allopregnanolone-stimulated potentiation of GABA-mediated chloride ion uptake. This enhanced effect was completely blocked by the addition of 30 µm of the 3β-isomer of allopregnanolone, isoallopregnanolone. Our findings show that steroids released during stress interact with each other and GABA in the GABA system.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04047.x
