Lack of effect of a single dose of hydrocortisone on serotonin(1A) receptors in recovered depressed patients measured by positron emission tomography with [11C]WAY-100635.

BACKGROUND: Elevated cortisol levels might account for the reduction in central serotonin 1A (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT](1A)) receptor binding and function observed in patients with major depression. We tested this hypothesis by studying the effect of acute administration of hydrocortisone on 5-HT(1A) receptor binding potential (BP) in subjects recovered from depression. METHODS: We studied 14 subjects (8 male, 6 female) who had recovered from at least two episodes of major depression and had been euthymic and drug free for at least 6 months. Serotonin 1A receptor BP was measured by [(11)C]WAY-100635 in conjunction with positron emission tomography. Subjects were tested on two occasions in a double-blind, random-order, crossover design after administration of either hydrocortisone (100 mg orally) or placebo 12 hours previously. Positron emission tomography scans were analyzed with a region of interest analysis. RESULTS: Hydrocortisone treatment did not decrease 5-HT(1A) receptor BP either in the hippocampus, which was our a priori hypothesis, or in other cortical 5-HT(1A) regions; however, female subjects had a higher 5-HT(1A) receptor BP in certain brain areas compared with male subjects. CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with an earlier study in healthy volunteers and do not support the proposal that decreased 5-HT(1A) receptor BP in patients with acute major depression is a consequence of cortisol hypersecretion.     

CLINICAL TRIAL OF EGOCORT 1% CREAM

A double blind clinical trial was conducted with Egocort 1% Cream and plain aqueous cream applied to each half of the body in ten patients with eczema. The patients were assessed for erythema, papules, vesicles, scaling and pruritus at the beginning of treatment, after 7-14 days and again after a further 7-14 days.
The results show that Egocort 1% Cream is more effective in treating eczema than plain aqueous cream. The preparation was found pleasant to use and no side-effects were noted.     

Effect of combined injection of hydrocortisone and edta on the number of antibody-forming cells in the spleen of mice immunized with sheep's erythrocytes

Experiments on (CBA x C57BL)F₁ mice showed that injection of hydrocortisone into the animals in a dose of 1 mg per mouse 24 h after immunization with sheep's erythrocytes, and against the background of repeated injections of EDTA, leads to a reduction in the relative number of plaque-forming cells by more than two-thirds in the spleen of the mice compared with the effect of the two agents separately, and by more than five-sixths compared with the control. It is suggested that this may be the result of the more intensive incorporation of hydrocortisone associated with the prolonged hypocalcemic action of the complexone, EDTA.Laboratory of Regulation of Immunopoiesis, Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Siberian Branch, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Novosibirsk. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. P. Kaznacheev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 85, No. 3, pp. 320–322, March, 1978.     

Investigation of function of the lactose operon of escherichia coli K-12 under the influence of nonspecific regulators

The possible role of cyclic AMP in the stimulating action of ACTH and hydrocortisone on the lactose operon ofEscherichia coli K-12 was investigated. It was shown that ACTH had no effect on strainsE. coli WZ-78/F'lac (cya₈₅₅) andE. coli CA 8001 (L₁), in which the system of regulation of the function of the lactose operon by cyclic AMP is disturbed. Meanwhile this hormone stimulates the lactose operon in wild-type strains:E. coli 200 PS/F'lac andE. coli 3000. Hydrocortisone stimulates the function of the lactose operon both in the wild-type strainE. coli 3000 and in the mutantE. coli CA 8001 (L₁). It is considered that the stimulating action of ACTH on the lactose operon is mediated through cyclic AMP and that hydrocortisone stimulates the function of the lactose operon independently of cyclic AMP.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 744–746, June, 1977.     

Modulation of Cytokeratin Expression in The Hamster Thymus: Evidence For a Plasticity of The Thymic Epithelium

Cytokeratin (CK) expression was investigated, by means of immunocytochemistry, in the hamster thymic epithelium during ontogeny, as well as in primary cultures and upon glucocorticoid hormone treatment in vivo. As compared to the distribution pattern of distinct monoclonal antibody-defined cytokeratins in the normal adult thymus, CK modulation was evidenced in the three situations studied. During thymus ontogeny, both cytokeratins of simple lining epithelia, as CK8 and CK18, as well as the CK1/CK10 pair (typical marker of terminal stage of keratinization), were expressed since early stages of thymus development. They were located in the central region of thymic lobules preceding the cortical-medullary distinctions. This differed from what had been previously shown for mouse thymus ontogeny, revealing that the interspecific diversity in the distribution pattern of thymic cytokeratins occurred early in fetal life. A modulation of CK expression was also detected when hamster thymic epithelial cells (TEC) were led to grow in culture, with a down-regulation of CK19 contrasting with an enhancement of CK18 expression. This diverged from the maintenance of the in situ pattern when human TEC were cultured. Last, in vivo hydrocortisone treatment, known to increase the numbers of KL1⁺ cells in the mouse thymus medulla, promoted a cortical expression of the CK1/CK10 pair in the hamster thymus. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a continuous plasticity of the thymic epithelium, at least regarding cytokeratin expression, and enlarge the concept of interspecific diversity of intrathymic CK distribution in conditions as morphogenesis, in vitro system, and responsiveness to glucocorticoid hormone treatment.     

氢化可的松对豚鼠离体气管平滑肌收缩活动的影响

目的：研究氢化可的松对豚鼠离体气管平滑肌收缩活动的影响。方法：用组胺和乙酰胆碱引起气管条明显收缩和张力增加。用氢化可的松20-30秒后,观察组胺和乙酰胆碱所引起的气管条收缩活动的改变。结果：用氢化可的松20～30s后,组胺和乙酰胆碱所引起的气管条收缩活动减弱、张力明显降低。结论：氢化可的松可以快速舒张豚鼠气管平滑肌。     

Interactions between the stimulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and leptin in humans

Leptin, produced by adipocytes, has homeostatic effects on body fat mass through inhibition of appetite and stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Several studies have reported that high-dose exogenous glucocorticoids increase circulating leptin concentrations in humans. Conversely, leptin has inhibitory effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, both at the hypothalamic and adrenal levels. We hypothesized that acute hypercortisolism, in the physiological range, may not alter leptin secretion. Four stimuli of the HPA axis were administered to eight healthy male volunteers in a placebo-controlled study. On separate afternoons, in a randomised order, fasting subjects received i.v. injections of saline, naloxone (125 microg/kg); vasopressin (0.0143 IU/kg); naloxone and vasopressin in combination; or insulin (0.15 U/kg; a dose sufficient to induce hypoglycaemia). Plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and leptin were measured before and for 120 min after the injection. The cortisol secretory response was greatest after insulin-hypoglycaemia, this response was significantly greater than that following naloxone, naloxone/vasopressin, or vasopressin alone. Despite the cortisol release, leptin concentrations were not increased after any stimulus. Insulin-hypoglycaemia was associated with a decrease in leptin concentration at 60 and 90 min, while naloxone did not alter leptin concentrations. However, basal leptin concentrations were positively correlated with integrated ACTH and cortisol responses to naloxone, but did not correlate with ACTH or cortisol responses to the other stimuli. Thus acute elevations of plasma cortisol, in the physiological range, do not appear to influence plasma leptin concentrations. The fall in plasma leptin concentration after insulin-induced hypoglycaemia may reflect catecholamine secretion after this stimulus.     

Randomised trial of dopamine compared with hydrocortisone for the treatment of hypotensive very low birthweight infants

AIM—To compare the efficacy of hydrocortisone with dopamine for the treatment of hypotensive, very low birthweight (VLBW) infants.METHODS—Forty infants were randomly allocated to receive either hydrocortisone (n=21) or dopamine (n=19).RESULTS—All 19 infants randomised to dopamine responded; 17 of 21 (81%) did so in the hydrocortisone group. Three of the four non-responders in the hydrocortisone group had clinically significant left to right ductal shunting. The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular haemorrhage, necrotising enterocolitis, symptomatic patent ductus arteriosus, hyperglycaemia, sepsis (bacterial or fungal) or survival did not differ between groups. The adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulated plasma cortisol activity, either before or after treatment, did not differ between the two groups of infants. Although a significant difference in efficacy between dopamine and hydrocortisone was not noted (P = 0.108), there were four treatment failures in the hydrocortisone group, compared with none in the dopamine group.CONCLUSION—Both hydrocortisone and dopamine are effective treatments for hypotension in very low birthweight infants.