EFFECTS OF EPINEPHRINE ON THE PRODUCTION AND METABOLIC CLEARANCE OF CORTISOL IN NORMAL MEN AND WOMEN AND IN WOMEN WITH IDIOPATHIC HIRSUTISM

Abstract

The influence of epinephrine on the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and production rate (PR) of cortisol was determined in normal men and women and in women with idiopathic hirsutism. MCR was measured using a constant infusion of H3-cortisol and PR calculated as the product of MCR and plasma cortisol concentra?tion according to the model of Talt. After control observations 0.5 [mu]g/kg epinephrine was injected intravenously in one minute followed by a constant infusion at a rate of 0.5 mg/h. The mean cortisol MCR was 10.3 litres/h in males and 7.9 litres/h in females. In neither sex was it altered by epinephrine. The mean baseline cortisol PR in males was 568 [mu]g/h; it increased to 940 [mu]g/h with epinephrine (P<.025> .01). In hirsute females the mean baseline cortisol PR was 697 [mu]g/h with an increase to 1067 [mu]g/h with epinephrine. In normal females, the increase in cortisol PR was less (515 [mu]g/h to 638 [mu]g/h). Adrenal responsiveness to epinephrine, as measured by the production of cortisol, appears greater in hirsute than in normal women. Possible relationships between this difference and the development of hirsutism are discussed.