The existence of a pituitary hormone which regulates the mammalian tdrenal cortex was first demonstrated by Smith (1) in 1927; the implantaion of pituitary glands restored to normal the atrophic adrenal cortices of lypophysectomized rats. Enlargement of the adrenals following t.he inection of pituitary extracts was observed by Houssay et al. (2) in the hylophysectomized dog and by Collip, Ander...

INTRODUCTION Gallstones are the most common cause of acute pancreatitis worldwide. Patients with severe acute biliary pancreatitis (SABP) constitute a subgroup of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) patients in whom systemic inflammation may be triggered and perpetuated by different mechanisms. The aim of this prospective investigation was to examine the adrenal response to corticotropin and the re...

Urocortin (Ucn) is a newly identified mammalian member of the CRF family of peptides. Ucn activates CRF receptors (both CRF-R1 and CRF-R2) with greater potency than CRF itself, suggesting that Ucn may play an endogenous role in eliciting (at least some) CRF receptor-mediated events. Because the most characterized physiological function of CRF receptors is the activation of pituitary ACTH secret...

N Engl J Med 2009;360:2328-39. Copyright © 2009 Massachusetts Medical Society. A drenal insufficiency — the clinical manifestation of deficient production or action of glucocorticoids — is a life-threatening disorder that may result from either primary adrenal failure or secondary adrenal disease due to impairment of the hypothalamic–pituitary axis.1,2 This article focuses on providing the prac...

CONTEXT The corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF, or corticotropin-releasing hormone) and arginine vasopressin systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology of anxiety and depressive disorders and response to antidepressant treatment. OBJECTIVE To study the association of genetic variants in 10 genes that regulate the CRF and arginine vasopressin systems with treatment response to citalo...

CONTEXT Septic shock may be associated with relative adrenal insufficiency. Thus, a replacement therapy of low doses of corticosteroids has been proposed to treat septic shock. OBJECTIVE To assess whether low doses of corticosteroids improve 28-day survival in patients with septic shock and relative adrenal insufficiency. DESIGN AND SETTING Placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, para...

Abstract Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) neurons that synthesize corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) drive binge alcohol drinking and anxiety. Here, we found female C57BL/6J mice drink more than males have greater basal BNST CRF neuron excitability synaptic excitation. We identified a dense VGLUT2 + input from paraventricular thalamus (PVT) releases glutamate directly onto but also ...

Abstract Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus are canonical controllers endocrine response to stress. Here we propose a new role for these cells as gate state transitions that allow organism engage stress-related behaviors. Specifically, review evidence indicating activation at critical times allows organisms move is permissive motor actio...

In sheep with HF (heart failure), Ucn 1 (urocortin 1) decreases total peripheral resistance and left atrial pressure, and increases cardiac output in association with attenuation of vasopressor hormone systems and enhancement of renal function. In a previous study, we demonstrated in the first human studies that infusion of Ucn 1 elevates corticotropin ('ACTH'), cortisol and ANP (atrial natriur...