Circadian variation in basal plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin in the rat: sexual dimorphism and changes across the estrous cycle
- PMID: 9275073
- DOI: 10.1210/endo.138.9.5395
Circadian variation in basal plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotropin in the rat: sexual dimorphism and changes across the estrous cycle
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in the rat hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis was investigated by determination of plasma corticosterone and immunoreactive (I-) ACTH in males and in females at each stage of the estrous cycle. A serial blood-sampling technique enabled assessment of covariation of the two hormones across the full circadian range of their concentrations within individual animals. Distinct diurnal rhythms in plasma corticosterone were evident in all rats, and the degree and timing of this rhythmicity, determined by cosinor analyses, did not vary with gender or cycle stage. There were, however, marked differences in absolute levels of corticosterone across the estrous cycle, with the average daily concentration (mesor) increasing progressively from a minimum at estrus (129 +/- 11 ng/ml) to a maximum 3 days later at proestrus (246 +/- 14 ng/ml). The mesor corticosterone value in male rats (102 +/- 21 ng/ml) was not different from that in estrous females, but was lower than that in females at all other stages of the cycle. In contrast, no gender- or cycle-related differences were detected in absolute levels of I-ACTH, although distinct diurnal rhythms, synchronous with those for corticosterone, were evident in all groups. Accordingly, a strong and positive within-rat relationship between plasma corticosterone and I-ACTH was observed in all groups, but there was a clear shift in the nature of this relationship across the estrous cycle, such that the slope (i.e. concentration of plasma corticosterone per unit concentration of I-ACTH) was minimal in males and estrous females and maximal in proestrous females. In conclusion, this study shows that the extent of sexual dimorphism in resting plasma corticosterone levels is dependent on estrous cycle stage, being absent at estrus and maximal at proestrus. Moreover, this variation in plasma corticosterone was not accompanied by corresponding changes in plasma I-ACTH, suggestive of cycle-related changes in responsiveness of the adrenal cortex to trophic stimulation.
Similar articles
-
Rat estrous cycle influences the sexual diergism of HPA axis stimulation by nicotine.Brain Res Bull. 2004 Sep 30;64(3):205-13. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2004.06.011. Brain Res Bull. 2004. PMID: 15464856
-
Sex- and stress-steroids interactions and the immune system: evidence for a neuroendocrine-immunological sexual dimorphism.Domest Anim Endocrinol. 1998 Sep;15(5):345-52. doi: 10.1016/s0739-7240(98)00028-9. Domest Anim Endocrinol. 1998. PMID: 9785038 Review.
-
A diurnal rhythm of stimulatory input to the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal system as revealed by timed intrahypothalamic administration of the vasopressin V1 antagonist.J Neurosci. 1996 Sep 1;16(17):5555-65. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.16-17-05555.1996. J Neurosci. 1996. PMID: 8757267 Free PMC article. Review.
-
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in rat pregnancy and lactation: circadian variation and interrelationship of plasma adrenocorticotropin and corticosterone.Endocrinology. 1995 Feb;136(2):512-20. doi: 10.1210/endo.136.2.7835284. Endocrinology. 1995. PMID: 7835284
-
Variations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response to stress during the estrous cycle in the rat.Endocrinology. 1991 Nov;129(5):2503-11. doi: 10.1210/endo-129-5-2503. Endocrinology. 1991. PMID: 1657578
Cited by
-
A gut (microbiome) feeling about addiction: Interactions with stress and social systems.Neurobiol Stress. 2024 Mar 18;30:100629. doi: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100629. eCollection 2024 May. Neurobiol Stress. 2024. PMID: 38584880 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Mice lacking DIO3 exhibit sex-specific alterations in circadian patterns of corticosterone and gene expression in metabolic tissues.BMC Mol Cell Biol. 2024 Mar 29;25(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s12860-024-00508-6. BMC Mol Cell Biol. 2024. PMID: 38553695 Free PMC article.
-
Sexual dimorphism of circadian liver transcriptome.iScience. 2024 Mar 12;27(4):109483. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109483. eCollection 2024 Apr 19. iScience. 2024. PMID: 38550984 Free PMC article.
-
Sex Differences in Stress Response: Classical Mechanisms and Beyond.Curr Neuropharmacol. 2024;22(3):475-494. doi: 10.2174/1570159X22666231005090134. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2024. PMID: 37855285 Free PMC article.
-
Sounds of danger and post-traumatic stress responses in wild rodents: ecological validity of a translational model of post-traumatic stress disorder.Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Nov;28(11):4719-4728. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02240-7. Epub 2023 Sep 6. Mol Psychiatry. 2023. PMID: 37674017 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources