Effect of different types of stress on adrenal gland parameters and adrenal hormones in the blood serum of male Wistar rats

Abstract

In the present study, we examined gross changes in the mass of whole adrenal glands and that of the adrenal cortex and medulla in mature male Wistar rats subjected to three different stress types: acute, chronic, and combined, i.e., chronic followed by acute stress. These parameters were correlated with adrenal activity as judged from serum levels of corticosterone and catecholamine, respectively, as well as with serum levels of ACTH and glucose. Under all three conditions, we observed bilaterally asymmetric and stress-type-independent hypertrophy of whole adrenals, as well as adrenal cortices and medullas. Under acute and combined stress, adrenal hypertrophy was followed by increase of adrenal hormones in the blood serum. However, under chronic stress, both cortical and medullar activities as judged from low or unaltered levels of the respective hormones and glucose were compromised and disconnected from the input signal of ACTH. Since all of the studied adrenal activities could be restored by subsequent acute stress, it is concluded that chronic isolation can be viewed as partly maladaptive stress with characteristics resembling stress resistance rather than the stress exhaustion stage of the general adaptation syndrome.U prikazanoj studiji pratili smo promene mase adrenalnih zlezda, adrenalnog korteksa i medule kod polno zrelih muzjaka Wistar pacova koji su izlagani razlicitim stresovima: akutnom, hronicnom i kombinovanom stresu, odnosno hronicnom stresu nakon koga je sledio akutni stres. Naveden epromene korelisane su sa aktivnoscu adrenalnog korteksa i medule, koja je pracena preko nivoa kortikosterona i kateholamina u krvnom serumu, i takodje su korelisane sa nivoom ACTH i glukoze. Pod delovanjem sva tri tretmana zapazili smo bilateralno asimetricnu hipertrofiju adrenalnih zlezda, korteksa i medule i ove promene su bile nezavisne od tipa stresa. U akutnom i hronicnom stresu hipertrofija adrenalnih zlezda bila je pracena porastom adrenalnih hormona u krvnom serumu. Medjutim, u hronicnom stresu, aktivnost adrenalnog korteksa i medule bila je ili snizena ili neizmenjena, sudeci po niskom nivou hormona i glukoze u krvnom serumu, i bila je nepovezana sa ulaznim signalom ACTH. Buduci da su svi posmatrani parametri aktivnosti adrenalnih zlezda mogli da se revertiraju naknadnim akutnim stresom, zakljucili smo, da hronicna izolacija dovodi do delimicno maladaptivnog odgovora na stres, koji po karakteristikama nalikuje fazi rezistencije na stres, pre nego fazi iscrpljenosti po klasifikaciji generalnog adaptacionog sindroma.