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Horm Metab Res 2005; 37(10): 585-588
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-870534
Original Basic
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Ether Stress Increases Adrenomedullin Gene Expression and Levels in the Rat Adrenal

F.  Tang1 , M.  P.  F.  Wong1 , I.  S.  S.  Hwang1 , Y.  Y.  Li1
  • 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
Further Information

Publication History

Received 3 November 2004

Accepted after revision 3 May 2005

Publication Date:
08 November 2005 (online)

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Abstract

To study the contribution of adrenomedullin in the adrenal medulla in the stress response, we measured plasma and adrenal levels of adrenomedullin in sham-operated (intact) rats and in rats without adrenal medulla, with or without exposure to ether vapor for 15 min. Adrenomedullin levels decreased drastically after demedullation. Effect stress resulted in increased adrenomedullin levels in both adrenal and plasma in sham-operated rats, but not in demedullated rats. The responses of plasma adrenocorticotropin to stress were similar, but the elevations in plasma corticosterone levels were significantly less in demedullated rats. In the sham-operated rat, preproadrenomedullin mRNA levels were increased after stress, and this effect was not blocked by pretreatment with hexamethonium. We conclude that stress increases adrenomedullin synthesis and secretion from the adrenal medulla through a hexamethonium-insensitive mechanism, and that adrenomedullin release from the adrenal medulla may play a role in cortical steroidogenesis.

Key words

Adrenocorticotrophin - Adrenal - Adrenomedullin - Corticosterone - Ether stress - Hexamethonium - Rat

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Professor F. Tang

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine

University of Hong Kong · Hong Kong · China

Phone: +852 28 19 92 69

Fax: +852 28 55 97 30

Email: ftang@hkucc.hku.hk