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Effect of aging on corticosterone secretion in diestrous rats
Author(s) -
Lo MingJae,
Kau MeiMei,
Wang Paulus S.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/jcb.20576
Subject(s) - corticosterone , secretion , endocrinology , medicine , chemistry , biology , hormone
Abstract The roles of age and prolactin (PRL) in regulating glucocorticoid secretion in diestrous rats were investigated. Adrenal zona fasciculata‐reticularis (ZFR) cells from young, adult, middle (mid)‐aged, and old female rats were isolated. Estrous cycle stage was determined by light microscopy after vaginal smears. Blood samples were collected from right jugular vein at 0, 30, 60, and 120 min after challenge with adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). During the diestrous phase, plasma levels of estradiol and progesterone were lower in mid‐aged and old rats than in either young or adult rats. Age‐dependent increases of the basal levels of plasma PRL and corticosterone were observed. No difference of ACTH‐increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone was observed among young, adult, mid‐aged, and old rats. Aging increased the basal, ACTH‐, PRL‐, forskolin (an adenylate cyclase activator)‐, and 3‐isobutyl‐l‐methylxanthine (IBMX, a non‐selective phosphodiesterase inhibitor)‐stimulated release of corticosterone and production of adenosine 3′, 5′‐cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in ZFR cells. However, the 8‐Br‐cAMP (a membrane‐permeable cAMP)‐stimulated release of corticosterone was not affected by age. Taken together, these data indicated that aging increased corticosterone secretion in female rats during diestrous phase, which is in part due to an increase in cAMP accumulation. In conclusion, aging and PRL play a stimulatory role in the co‐regulation of corticosterone secretion. J. Cell. Biochem. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.