Open AccessAn initial exploration of in vivo hair cortisol responses to a brief pain stressor: latency, localization and independence effects
Author(s) -
Christopher F. Sharpley,
Kate Kauter,
James R. McFarlane
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931544
Subject(s) - stressor , in vivo , endocrinology , medicine , endocrine system , hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis , latency (audio) , peripheral , biology , neuroscience , hormone , microbiology and biotechnology , engineering , electrical engineering
Cortisol is secreted by the central hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenalaxis and affects many target organs and tissues, particularly inresponse to stressor demands and infection. Recent datareporting cortisol synthesis in hair follicles have shown theexistence of a parallel “peripheral” HPA-axis. However, althoughthere is evidence from in vitro studies and single-observationcomparisons between groups that cortisol from hair folliclesreflects endocrine changes associated with stressor demands,there are no reports to date of repeated measurements of in vivocortisol responsivity in hair to transitory stressors. This issue wasinvestigated with three males who underwent 1 min cold pressortest (CP). Cortisol response in hair to stressor demand appears tobe (a) swift but transitory, (b) localized to the site of the demandand (c) independent of central HPA-axis activity.