Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 64, 371-376, Copyright © 1987 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

The relationship of saline-induced changes in vasopressin secretion to basal and corticotropin-releasing hormone-stimulated adrenocorticotropin and cortisol secretion in man

RS Rittmaster, GB Cutler Jr, PW Gold, DD Brandon, T Tomai, DL Loriaux and GP Chrousos

To investigate the effect of endogenous arginine vasopressin (AVP) on ACTH secretion, normal subjects were given infusions of either hypertonic saline (HS) or isotonic saline (NS) combined with human corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) or placebo. Basal plasma AVP was 2.3 +/- 0.3 (+/- SE) pg/ml, did not change with NS treatment, and rose to 5.4 +/- 0.6 pg/ml during HS infusion (P less than 0.01). Both basal and CRH-stimulated plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations increased during HS infusion. Peak plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were 11.4 +/- 1.5 pg/ml and 8.6 +/- 0.8 micrograms/dl, respectively, during the HS (plus placebo) infusion. During the NS (plus placebo) infusion, plasma ACTH and cortisol gradually declined to 6.8 +/- 0.5 pg/ml and 2.6 +/- 0.4 micrograms/dl. The timing of the rise in ACTH during the HS infusion paralleled the rise in AVP. When an iv dose of 1 microgram/kg CRH was administered during the saline infusions, peak plasma ACTH and cortisol levels were 27.7 +/- 6.3 pg/ml and 17.5 +/- 1.0 micrograms/dl, respectively, during the HS infusion and 15.6 +/- 1.7 pg/ml and 13.4 +/- 1.2 micrograms/dl during the NS infusion. When the areas under the hormone response curves were compared, CRH stimulated ACTH and cortisol secretion to a greater extent than did HS (P less than 0.05). The hormonal stimulation due to combined CRH and hypertonic saline was greater than that attributable to either factor alone (P less than 0.025), but was not different than the sum of the effects of the individual factors. These results indicate that increases in endogenous AVP produced by HS are associated with increases in both basal and CRH- stimulated ACTH and cortisol release. The effect of HS appears to be additive to but not consistently synergistic with the effect of CRH.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. A. Deuster, M. M. Faraday, G. P. Chrousos, and M. A. Poth Effects of Dehydroepiandrosterone and Alprazolam on Hypothalamic-Pituitary Responses to Exercise J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., August 1, 2005; 90(8): 4777 - 4783. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. J. Parker, G. P. Hamlin, C. J. Coleman, and L. A. Fitzpatrick Excess cortisol interferes with a principal mechanism of resistance to dehydration in Bos indicus steers J Anim Sci, April 1, 2004; 82(4): 1037 - 1045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. P. Mahoney, E. Weinberger, C. Bryant, M. Ito, J. L. Jameson, and M. Ito Effects of Aging on Vasopressin Production in a Kindred with Autosomal Dominant Neurohypophyseal Diabetes Insipidus Due to the {Delta}E47 Neurophysin Mutation J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., February 1, 2002; 87(2): 870 - 876. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Itagaki, S. Ozawa, S. Yamaguchi, K. Ushikawa, T. Tashiro, H. Katahira, M. Takizawa, K. Yoshimoto, S. Murakawa, and H. Ishida Increases in Plasma ACTH and Cortisol after Hypertonic Saline Infusion in Patients with Central Diabetes Insipidus J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., December 1, 2001; 86(12): 5749 - 5754. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. S. Stachenfeld, A. E. Splenser, W. L. Calzone, M. P. Taylor, and D. L. Keefe Genome and Hormones: Gender Differences in Physiology: Selected Contribution: Sex differences in osmotic regulation of AVP and renal sodium handling J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2001; 91(4): 1893 - 1901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. C. Daly, T.-P. Su, P. J. Schmidt, D. Pickar, D. L. Murphy, and D. R. Rubinow Cerebrospinal Fluid and Behavioral Changes After Methyltestosterone Administration: Preliminary Findings Arch Gen Psychiatry, February 1, 2001; 58(2): 172 - 177. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. A. Deuster, J. S. Petrides, A. Singh, G. P. Chrousos, and M. Poth Endocrine Response to High-Intensity Exercise: Dose-Dependent Effects of Dexamethasone J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2000; 85(3): 1066 - 1073. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				W. J. Inder, J. Hellemans, M. P. Swanney, T. C. R. Prickett, and R. A. Donald Prolonged exercise increases peripheral plasma ACTH, CRH, and AVP in male athletes J Appl Physiol, September 1, 1998; 85(3): 835 - 841. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. A. Deuster, J. S. Petrides, A. Singh, E. B. Lucci, G. P. Chrousos, and P. W. Gold High Intensity Exercise Promotes Escape of Adrenocorticotropin and Cortisol from Suppression by Dexamethasone: Sexually Dimorphic Responses J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 1998; 83(9): 3332 - 3338. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				G. P. Chrousos Editorial: Ultradian, Circadian, and Stress-Related Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity--A Dynamic Digital-to-Analog Modulation Endocrinology, February 1, 1998; 139(2): 437 - 440. [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. A. Galliven, A. Singh, D. Michelson, S. Bina, P. W. Gold, and P. A. Deuster Hormonal and metabolic responses to exercise across time of day and menstrual cycle phase J Appl Physiol, December 1, 1997; 83(6): 1822 - 1831. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Rabadan-Diehl, G. Makara, A. Kiss, S. Lolait, D. Zelena, T. Ochedalski, and G. Aguilera Regulation of Pituitary V1b Vasopressin Receptor Messenger Ribonucleic Acid by Adrenalectomy and Glucocorticoid Administration Endocrinology, December 1, 1997; 138(12): 5189 - 5194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Petrides, P. W. Gold, G. P. Mueller, A. Singh, C. Stratakis, G. P. Chrousos, and P. A. Deuster Marked differences in functioning of the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis between groups of men J Appl Physiol, June 1, 1997; 82(6): 1979 - 1988. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. L. K. Elias, J. Antunes-Rodrigues, P. C. L. Elias, and A. C. Moreira Effect of Plasma Osmolality on Pituitary-Adrenal Responses to Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone and Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Changes in Central Diabetes Insipidus J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., April 1, 1997; 82(4): 1243 - 1247. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. P. Chrousos The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Immune-Mediated Inflammation N. Engl. J. Med., May 18, 1995; 332(20): 1351 - 1363. [Full Text] [PDF]