[Immuno-corticotropin interactions in a nociceptive environment in the Wistar rat]. / Relations immuno-corticotropes dans un environnement nociceptif chez la ratte wistar.

In pregnant rats, oral administration of ammonium nitrate, stress with ether and antigenic stimulation were found to induce immune variations, hormonal changes and evince the organism's capacities of detoxification. An activation of the immune system and immunosuppression have been recorded respectively during xenobiotics administration and antigenic stimulation, and during stress. Corticotrophe response occurred on the 6th day of gestation and was more pronounced from the 12th day onwards in animals receiving ammonium nitrate. At the end of the gestation period, however, the corticotrophe response became stable in treated animals. Ammonium nitrate administration seemed to drive a major toxicity effect, clearly observed through increased levels of methemoglobine and coincided with a significant decrease in the level of glutathione, confirming a mechanism of detoxification.

Effects of early embryonic bursectomy and opotherapic substitution on the functional development of the adrenocorticotropic axis.

Functional development of the adrenocorticotropic axis was inferred from plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels in intact and embryonically bursectomized (BFX) embryos and chicks from 8 days before to 56 days after hatch. Bursectomy was surgically made at 80 h of incubation and resulted in various alterations in developing adrenocorticotropic axis: ether stress-induced hormonal stimulation could be detected more precociously in BFX (day-6) than in intact embryos; the non stress-responsive period of newly hatched controls did not appear in BFX chicks; BFX young adult chicken exhibited quite smaller responses to stress than controls. In ovo injection of bursin (Lys-His-Gly-NH2) to 6- and 9-days old BFX embryos could restore normal adrenocorticotropic development provided convenient doses of tripeptide were used: administration of 100 fg or 100 pg of bursin was effective to restore normal hormonal levels at all stages studied whereas 100 micrograms was effective at embryonic stages only. The tripeptide Lys-His-Gly-NH2 is suggested as a possible signal from the immune B system directed at the hypothalamo-hypophysial-adrenocortical axis.

[Comparison of plasma ACTH and corticosterone levels after embryo bursectomy]. / Comparaison des taux plasmatiques d'ACTH et de corticostérone après bursectomie embryonnaire.

Plasma levels of both adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (B) were determined in embryos (day 15 of incubation), chicks (day 3 after hatch) and young chickens (8 weeks). Experimental animals were bursectomized at 80 hr of incubation, i.e., before any anlage of the bursa of Fabricius could develop. Bursectomized (BFX) animals were compared to sham-operated controls (T), in basal, resting condition and 7 (ACTH) or 14 min (B) after ether stress was delivered for 30 sec. Basal B and ACTH levels seemed not to be significantly modified in BFX embryos, chicks and chickens. Hypophysial and adrenocortical response to stress appeared more precociously in BFX embryos (day 15 of incubation) than in intact ones (day 19). The non stress-responsive period that was observed for one week after hatch of T birds did not appear in 3-day-old BFX chicks whose both B and ACTH stress-induced levels were as high as in intact adults. In contrast, adrenocortical and pituitary corticotropic responses to stress were markedly impaired (by 50%) in adult BFX chickens as compared to intact controls.