PLASMA CORTICOSTEROID LEVELS AND ADRENAL ASCORBIC ACID AFTER INTRAVENOUS CORTICOTROPHIN INJECTIONS AND »STRESSFUL« STIMULI IN THE RAT

Abstract

Measure ments of plasma corticosteroid levels and adrenal ascorbic acid concentration in steroid blocked and hypophysectomized rats were performed. It was found that prednisolone and dexamethasone were effective in blocking endogenous corticotrophin release within 3-4 hours after subcutaneous injection. These agents also prevented completely the normally occurring rise in plasma corticoid levels after exposure of the rats to ether. Abdominal surgery (unilateral adrenalec-tomy) resulted in a slight but significant rise in plasma corticoid levels in spite of dexamethasone blockade. The values of adrenal ascorbic acid were not affected significantly. The blocking effect of 2 daily subcutaneous injections of a high dose of dexamethasone persisted for about 1 week after the last injection. The sensitivity of the plasma corticoid response was essentially the same in hypophysectomized and dexamethasone blocked rats. The lower part of the log dose response curve was found to be clearly non-linear in the plasma corticoid method following intravenous corticotrophin injection. As a consequence the dose level in quantitative assays of intravenously injected corticotrophin are, in our hands, of the same order as in the adrenal ascorbic acid depletion method.