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Cortisol Excretion (cortisol + excretion)
Selected AbstractsInfluence of the mother's reproductive state on the hormonal status of daughters in marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii)AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2004Alyssa M. Puffer Abstract Behavioral and endocrine suppression of reproduction in subordinate females produces the high reproductive skew that characterizes callitrichid primate mating systems. Snowdon et al. [American Journal of Primatology 31:11,21, 1993] reported that the eldest daughters in tamarin families exhibit further endocrinological suppression immediately following the birth of siblings, and suggested that dominant females exert greater control over subordinate endocrinology during this energetically challenging phase of reproduction. We monitored the endocrine status of five Wied's black tufted-ear marmoset daughters before and after their mother delivered infants by measuring concentrations of urinary estradiol (E2), pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG), testosterone (T), and cortisol (CORT). Samples were collected from marmoset daughters 4 weeks prior to and 9 weeks following three consecutive sibling-litter births when the daughters were prepubertal (M=6.1 months of age), peripubertal (M=11.9 months), and postpubertal (M=17.6 months). The birth of infants was associated with reduced ovarian steroid excretion only in the prepubertal daughters. In contrast, ovarian steroid levels tended to increase in the postpubertal daughters. Urinary E2 and T levels in the postpubertal daughters were 73.8% and 37.6% higher, respectively, in the 3 weeks following the birth of infants, relative to prepartum levels. In addition, peak urinary PdG concentrations in peri- and postpubertal daughters were equivalent to luteal phase concentrations in nonpregnant, breeding adult females, and all of the peri- and postpubertal daughters showed clear ovulatory cycles. Cortisol excretion did not change in response to the reproductive status of the mother, nor did the concentrations change across age. Our data suggest that marmoset daughters of potential breeding age are not hormonally suppressed during the mother's peripartum period or her return to fertility. These findings provide an additional example of species diversity in the social regulation of reproduction in callitrichid primates. Am. J. Primatol. 64:29,37, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] 11b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in proteinuric patients and the effect of angiotensin-II receptor blockadeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 7 2002M. N. Kerstens Abstract Background It has been suggested that an altered setpoint of the 11,HSD-mediated cortisol to cortisone interconversion towards cortisol contributes to sodium retention in nephrotic syndrome patients. We studied the parameters of 11,HSD activity in proteinuric patients, in particular its activity at the kidney level. We also studied the effect of angiotensin-II receptor blockade on the parameters of 11,HSD activity. Materials and methods Serum cortisol/cortisone ratio and the urinary ratios of (tetrahydrocortisol + allo-tetrahydrocortisol)/tetrahydrocortisone [(THF + allo-THF)/THE] and of urinary free cortisol/free cortisone (UFF/UFE) were measured in eight proteinuric patients and compared with eight matched, healthy subjects. Patients were subsequently studied after 4 weeks' treatment with losartan 50 mg day,1 and placebo, respectively. Results No significant differences between the proteinuric patients and the healthy subjects were observed in the serum cortisol, serum cortisone, serum cortisol to cortisone ratio, or in the urinary excretions of THF, allo-THF, THE, sum of cortisol metabolites, or the (THF + allo-THF)/THE ratio. Urinary free cortisol excretion and the UFF/UFE ratio were lower in the proteinuric patients than in the healthy subjects (56 ± 21 vs. 85 ± 24 pmol min,1, P < 0·05, and 0·39 ± 0·07 vs. 0·63 ± 0·28, P < 0·05, respectively). Mean arterial pressure and proteinuria were reduced significantly during losartan treatment, but without concomitant changes in peripheral cortisol metabolism. Conclusions Increased renal inactivation of cortisol in proteinuric patients does not support the contention that altered 11,HSD activity contributes to sodium retention in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Losartan 50 mg d.d. reduces mean arterial pressure and proteinuria, but does not exert a significant effect on the cortisol to cortisone interconversion. [source] Postoperative elevated cortisol excretion is not associated with suppression of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretionACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2005J. Derenzo This study tests the hypothesis that elevated postoperative excretion of cortisol is associated with suppression of the nocturnal excretion of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, the chief metabolite of the circadian hormone, melatonin. Postoperative patients demonstrate circadian rhythm disturbances and suppression of nocturnal melatonin plasma concentration. Since the nocturnal surge in melatonin concentration in normal volunteers is time-locked to the circadian nadir of cortisol concentration, perhaps the attenuation of the nocturnal melatonin surge in postoperative patients results from prolonged elevation in the plasma cortisol concentration. In this observational study performed in 21 patients having unilateral hip or knee arthroplasty, urine was collected every 4 h for the first 48 h after surgery for measurement of urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (EIA) and free cortisol (RIA) excretion. The total (P < 0.05) and peak (P < 0.02) nocturnal 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretions were lower on the first than the second postoperative night. The nocturnal cortisol nadir preceded the 6-sulfatoxymelatonin surge in 20% of the subjects on night 1 and in 75% of the subjects on night 2. The lack of a consistent relationship between the magnitude or timing of cortisol excretion and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin excretion suggests that cortisol does not mediate postoperative 6-sulfatoxymelatonin suppression. [source] Restless legs syndrome: Evidence for nocturnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system activation,MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 8 2010Claudia Schilling MD Abstract Epidemiological studies consistently point to a relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and cardiovascular disease. The mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system has been shown to contribute to the metabolic syndrome and an enhanced cardiovascular risk. We investigated cortisol levels as an indicator of HPA system activity in RLS during the nighttime, when RLS symptoms are at their maximum. We assessed nocturnal urinary cortisol excretion in 73 patients with RLS and 34 healthy controls, controlling for age and gender. Urine sampling was paralleled by polysomnographic recordings. We found significantly enhanced nocturnal cortisol excretion in RLS, demonstrating nocturnal HPA system overactivity in RLS. HPA system overactivity is a possible mechanism contributing to the enhanced load of cardiovascular disease in RLS patients. Nocturnal cortisol release showed weak correlations with some polysomnographic parameters of disturbed sleep, making a potential contribution of RLS-induced sleep disruption to HPA system activation conceivable. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source] The rate of urinary cortisol excretion at work is persistently elevated in women at familial risk for breast cancerAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Gary D. James We recently reported that healthy women at familial risk for breast cancer (FH+) have higher urinary cortisol levels at work than women without familial risk (FH,). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether this group difference persisted over a 1-month period. Subjects were healthy women (FH+, N = 42, age = 37.6 ± 9.3, FH,, N = 93, age 38.4 ± 9.0) employed primarily in clerical or technical positions at three medical centers in New York City who collected timed urine samples in three contrasting daily environments, at work (,11AM,3PM), home (,6PM,10PM) and during sleep (,10PM,6AM) on 2 mid-week workdays ,1 month apart. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that cortisol excretion differed across the environments (P < 0.001), and that there was also a significant interaction between daily environment and family history group (P < 0.049), such that FH+ women maintained higher cortisol excretion at work over the 2 days than FH, women. A Bland,Altman plot showed that both overall and by family history group, the rate of cortisol excretion at work was generally reproducible, although there was a heteroscadasticity in the relationship that likely reflected excessive stressfulness on one of the study days in a small minority of subjects. These results suggest that the presence of a potent background stressor (familial breast cancer risk) can influence more acute cortisol responses in daily life over time. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||