Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical and gonadal axes and sympathoadrenal activity of adult male rats prenatally exposed to morphine

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 1999-03, Vol.263 (1), p.1-4
• Main Authors: Dutriez-Casteloot, Isabelle, Bernet, François, Dedieu, Jean-François, Croix, Dominique, Laborie, Christine, Montel, Valérie, Lesage, Jean, Beauvillain, Jean-Claude, Dupouy, Jean-Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenal Glands - drug effects; Adrenal Glands - physiology; Adrenocorticotrophic hormone; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Catecholamines; Corticoliberin; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - blood; Corticosterone - metabolism; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - blood; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects. Hormone interactions. Hormone actions on several organ systems. Adaptive reactions; Gestational Age; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - drug effects; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - physiology; Hypothalamus - drug effects; Hypothalamus - metabolism; Luteinizing hormone; Male; Morphine - pharmacology; Pituitary-Adrenal System - drug effects; Pituitary-Adrenal System - physiology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors; Receptors, Glucocorticoid - metabolism; Receptors, Mineralocorticoid - metabolism; Testis - drug effects; Testis - growth & development; Testis - physiology; Testosterone; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(99)00086-5

The present investigation concerns 80–90 day-old male rats born from morphine-exposed mothers (2×10 mg/kg per day from days 11 to 18 of gestation which showed at birth reduced size and activity of the adrenals). This prenatal treatment did not significantly disturb under resting conditions: (1) the postnatal body growth up to week 10 after birth, (2) the activity of the pituitary gonadal axis (circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T), weight of the testicles and seminal vesicles), (3) the activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) (hypothalamic corticoliberin (CRF) content, plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) level, adrenal weight and corticosterone (B) content, plasma B level) as well as B max and K d of mineralocorticoid (type I) and glucocorticoid (type II) receptors to B in both the hippocampus and the hypothalamus. In contrast these rats showed reduced content of adrenals in noradrenaline (NA) and adrenaline (A) but increased circulating levels of A.