Glucocorticoids compromise immune function in glucocorticoid-sensitive species (e.g., mice), but these immunosuppressive effects may be reduced in glucocorticoid-resistant species. Prairie voles (microtus ochrogaster) have been characterized as glucocorticoid-resistant to their high circulating levels of corticosterone. Because glucocorticoid-sensitive species display suppressed lymphocyte prol...

In order to investigate the cellular mechanism of glucocorticoid resistance in chronic asthma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from asthmatic patients were cultured in soft agar. Cells from patients known to be clinically sensitive to glucocorticoid therapy did not differ significantly from those of clinically resistant patients in terms of their immunophenotype or the number of coloni...

To determine the effects of glucocorticoid administration on the number of measured lymphocyte glucocorticoid receptor sites and the duration of such effects, seven normal volunteers were studied. Glucocorticoid receptor levels of the lymphocytes circulating in the blood of each volunteer were determined. Glucocorticoid was then administered in a regimen of a total of four doses of dexamethason...

Glucocorticoids exert their effects on gene transcription through ubiquitous receptors that bind to regulatory sequences present in many genes. These glucocorticoid receptors are present in all cell types, yet glucocorticoid action is controlled in a tissue-specific way. One mechanism for this control relies on tissue-specific transcriptional activators that bind in the vicinity of the glucocor...

INTRODUCTION 21-hydroxylase deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder that causes glucocorticoid deficiency and increased androgen production. Treatment is based on glucocorticoid replacement; however, interindividual variability in the glucocorticoid dose required to achieve adequate hormonal control has been observed. OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to evaluate the association between...

Glucocorticoid secretion occurs in a circadian pattern and in response to stress. Among the broad array of glucocorticoid actions are multiple effects in the brain, including negative feedback regulation of hypothalamic hormone secretion. The negative feedback of glucocorticoids occurs on both rapid and delayed time scales, reflecting different regulatory mechanisms. While the slow glucocortico...

Glucocorticoid-resistant P1798 cell lines have been found to contain levels of glucocorticoid receptor comparable to receptor levels in glucocorticoid-sensitive P1798 cells. Previously, most of the P1798 resistant cells examined were found to contain low levels of glucocorticoid receptor, and this was thought to account for the resistance of these cells to glucocorticoid treatment. Resistant ce...

The duration of glucocorticoid-induced inhibition that occurs in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis after discontinuation of treatment is controversial. The main objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the inhibition of the HPA axis by dexamethasone in children and adolescents with acute lymphoid leukemia. Thirty-five patients (median age of 6.9 yr) were evaluated. A stim...

The mechanism of action of the synthetic glucocorticoid antagonist, RU 38486, has yet to be completely elucidated. Although RU 38486 is a potent antiglucocorticoid in vivo, several studies have indicated that it has some agonist activities in vitro, such as high-affinity steroid binding to the receptor, activation, and DNA binding. Nevertheless, these in vitro postbinding events do not lead to ...

Diurnal variations in pain hypersensitivity are common chronic disorders. Temporal exacerbation of neuropathic is dependent on diurnal glucocorticoid secretion from the adrenal glands. We previously demonstrated that spinal expression serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 (SGK-1) associated with glucocorticoid- induced hypersensitivity, but there no available strategies to inhibit SGK-1 ...