Effects of pneumadin (PNM) on the adrenal glands. 5. Potent stimulating action of PNM on adrenocortical growth of dexamethasone-administered rats

Markowska, A. ^[2] ; Macchi, C. ^[1] ; Nussdorfer, G.G. ^[1] ; Malendowicz, L.K. ^[2]
1. [1] University of Padua
  
  University of Padua
  
  Padova, Italia
2. [2] Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Poznan, Poland
Localización: Histology and histopathology: cellular and molecular biology, ISSN-e 1699-5848, ISSN 0213-3911, Vol. 11, Nº. 3, 1996, págs. 583-585
Idioma: inglés
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Resumen
- Pneumadin (PNM) is a biologically active decapeptide, originally isolated from mammalian lungs, that has been previously found to acutely stimulate pituitary-adrenocortical axis in rats. The effects of 2-day PNM administration on the atrophic adrenal cortices of rats treated for 8 days with dexamethasone (DX) were investigated. PNM significantly raised adrenal weight and the average volume of adrenocortical cells. The decapeptide strikingly increased ACTH plasma concentration; however, the blood levels of aldosterone and corticosterone, as well as steroid output by adrenal quarters were not apparently affected. In light of these findings the following conclusions can be drawn: (i) PNM enhances the growth of adrenal cortex in DXadministered rats by a mechanism involving the stimulation of ACTH release; and (ii) PNM treatment is probably too short to allow DX-atrophied adrenocortical cells to re-acquire al1 their differentiated secretory capacities.