EFFECT OF MATERNAL AND FETAL CORTICOSTEROIDS ON DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION OF PITUITARY - ADRENOCORTICAL SYSTEM

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 68  (1) , 60-65
Abstract
The pituitary-adrenocortical system of rat fetuses was stimulated (larger adrenals at birth) by maternal adrenalectomy, or suppressed (smaller adrenals at birth) by implantation of an ACTH secreting pituitary tumor (MtTF4). Offspring were delivered by cesarean section and fostered to untreated females. Offspring of intact females delivered by cesarean section and normally delivered offspring of intact mothers both fostered to untreated lactating females served as controls. Body growth in the first 3 wk of life was delayed in offpspring of tumor bearing mothers and in control-fostered subjects compared to the 2 other groups. At 70 days of age female offspring of the tumor implanted and adrenalectomized mothers, and the control-cesarean females had smaller adrenals than control-fostered animals of the same sex. The adrenal size of males was not significantly affected. No significant differences were found in resting concentrations of corticosterone in plasma, although offspring of adrenalectomized mothers had high values. Suppressed adrenal response to ether stress was found in offspring of tumor bearing mothers. The supposition is that interference with maternal pituitary-adrenocortical activity during pregnancy has a long lasting effect on the fetal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical system.