Effect of acute exposure to cold on the levels of corticosterone and pituitary hormones in plasma collected from free conscious cannulated rats

Acute cold- and chronic heat-exposure upregulate hepatic leptin and muscle uncoupling protein (UCP) gene expression in broiler chickens

Emerging evidence showed that variations in environmental temperature affect both leptin and uncoupling protein (UCP) gene expression in mammals, whereas a little is known about such interactions in birds. Thus, we conducted the present study to investigate the influence of acute (2 hours) cold (4 degrees C) and chronic (10 days) heat (32 degrees C) exposure on hepatic leptin and muscle UCP gene expression in 5-wk-old broiler chickens. Both cold- and heat-exposure significantly (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) upregulated hepatic leptin (by 35 and 46%, respectively) and muscle UCP mRNA levels (by 71 and 71%, respectively) compared to the thermoneutrality (22 degrees C). This result suggests that leptin and UCP may be involved in the thermoregulation response of chickens to extreme climate (cold and hot temperatures). The upregulation of hepatic leptin gene expression was accompanied by an increase in plasma leptin levels, indicating that leptin may be regulated at transcriptional level. The increase of leptin and UCP mRNA abundance, and leptinemia we report here were not related to plasma glucose or insulin levels. In conclusion, the exposure of broiler chickens to extreme ambient temperatures (cold and heat) increases hepatic leptin and muscle UCP gene expression.

Anterior pituitary response to stress: time-related changes and adaptation

A wide array of physical and psychological stressors alter the secretion of anterior pituitary hormones. However, both the qualitative and the quantitative features of the stressors as well as its duration markedly influence the final endocrine response. In addition, among all anterior pituitary hormones, only ACTH and prolactin levels appear to reflect the intensity of the stress experienced by the animals. Although physical stressors show a somewhat specific neuroendocrine profile, the response of the pituitary-adrenal (PA) and sympathomedulloadrenal axes are common to almost all stressors. After an initial stimulatory effect of stress, an inhibition of all anterior pituitary hormones, except ACTH, can be found provided the stressor is intense enough. The mechanisms responsible for this biphasic response to stress are likely to be located at sites above the pituitary. When the animals are repeatedly exposed to the same stressor, some behavioural and physiological consequences of stress exposure are reduced, suggesting that the animals become adapted to the stimulus. This process has been also termed habituation. Among all the pituitary hormones, only ACTH and prolactin levels are reduced as a consequence of repeated exposure to the same (homotypic) stressor, although some negative results have been reported. However, it has been recently reported that subtle changes in the characteristics of the stressors or in their regularity can greatly influence adaptation, and these factors might explain failure to find adaptation of ACTH and prolactin in some works. Habituation of ACTH and prolactin, when observed, appears to be specific for the chronically applied stressor so that the potentiality of the PA axis and prolactin to respond to a novel (heterotypic) stressor can be preserved. In the case of the PA axis, an intact or potentiated response to a novel stressor is observed in spite of presumably negative feedback exerted by daily stress-induced glucocorticoid release and the high resting levels of glucocorticoids. This phenomenon has been termed as facilitation and can be unmasked alternating stress. Although with the exception of the PA axis, developmental aspects of anterior pituitary response to stress have been poorly studied, available data suggest that dramatic changes occur in some hormones during weaning, with some, but less profound, change thereafter. Responsiveness to stressors appears to mature with age, but developmental patterns differ among the various anterior pituitary hormones.

Characterization of thyroid hormone effect on the visual system of the adult rat

To characterize the effect of thyroid hormone on the central nervous system in adult rats, we recorded evoked potentials by photic (VEP) and electrical stimulation in normal, thyroidectomized (Tx) and T3- or T4-supplemented (Tx-T3, Tx-T4) male adult rats under pentobarbital anesthesia. The latencies of VEPs recorded in the visual cortex (VC) and lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), and the b-waves of the electroretinograms (ERG) of these three groups were compared. A significant prolongation of the latency of VEP by photic stimulation (flash light intensity 2J, 0.2 Hz) in the VC was observed 14 to 28 days after thyroidectomy (27.9 +/- 0.4 vs. 33.4 +/- 0.43 msec, p < 0.01). Similar prolongations were also observed when those of the VEP in the LGN and the b-wave of the ERG were compared to those of normal rats (22.4 +/- 0.37 vs. 27.3 +/- 0.41 msec, p < 0.01; 21.8 +/- 0.21 vs. 25.3 +/- 0.41 msec, p < 0.01, respectively). The prolonged latencies observed in the VC, LGN, and ERG-b-wave were partially normalized 24 hr after T3 supplement (50 micrograms/kg, sc) and fairly restored to normal levels by 48 hr after T4 injection (100 micrograms/kg sc). The VEP latencies in the LGN and VC showed a positive correlation with the b-wave latency of the ERG in these three groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Sympathoadrenal activity during helox-cold induced hypothermia in syrian hamsters

1. As reflected by increasing plasma concentrations of cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine and dopamine, a marked stimulation of the adrenal cortex and of the sympathetic nervous system occurred in Syrian hamsters during moderate hypothermia induced by helium-oxygen atmosphere and cold. 2. A profound hyperglycemia was observed during hypothermia. 3. All effects due to the helium-oxygen atmosphere and cold exposure (helox-cold) disappeared almost completely after rewarming. 4. The results corroborate the hypothesis of an involvement of the adrenal cortex combined with the sympathetic nervous system in the control of acute induced heat production.

Morphological effects of somatostatin on rat somatotrophs previously activated by growth hormone-releasing factor

Correlative morphological and physiological analysis was carried out in order to clarify the role of somatostatin in the inhibition of the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from somatotrophs of the rat anterior pituitary gland in vivo. Transmission electron microscopy combined with immunogold labelling showed an increased number of exocytotic GH-containing secretory granules in somatotrophs fixed between 2 and 10 min after injection of GH-releasing factor (GRF). Injection of GRF also induced the appearance of immunopositive material in cisternae of the Golgi apparatus, many coated vesicles and multivesicular bodies. Microtubules were observed more frequently throughout the cytoplasm, particularly in and near the Golgi region. At 2 and 10 min after injection of somatostatin (SRIF), both the number of exocytotic figures in the somatotrophs previously stimulated by GRF and the amount of radioimmunoassayable GH in the plasma were clearly decreased. Undulation of the plasma membrane (PM) induced by GRF rapidly disappeared, and the number of granules just beneath the plasma membrane was significantly reduced. After injection of SRIF, parallel bundles of microfilaments were often observed in the space between the granules and the plasma membrane. SRIF did not cause a noticeable decrease in the amount of immunopositive material, coated vesicles and multivesicular bodies in the Golgi areas or any significant changes in the distribution of microtubules. SRIF therefore appears to inhibit hormone release mainly at the level of the plasma membrane, probably through changes in the distribution of microfilaments.

Effects of morphine on cold-induced TRH release from the median eminence of unanesthetized rats

The effect of morphine perfusion into the median eminence on cold-induced TRH secretion was studied in unanesthetized rats by push-pull cannulation. Perfusion with 10(-6)M morphine blocked the cold-induced TRH peak occurring about 40 min after the transfer of rats from 24 degrees C to 4 degrees C. This inhibition by morphine was blunted by concomitant administration of naloxone (10(-6)M or 10(-5)M), but naloxone alone had no effect on either basal or cold-induced TRH release. We conclude that specific opiate receptors may be located on TRH nerve endings in the ME, and that endogenous opiates may not have any physiological role in the cold-induced TRH response, at least during the two hours that follow cold exposure.