Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T23:27:25.417Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adrenal function in lambs treated with androgenic and oestrogenic growth stimulants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. N. Sillence ,
K. M. Thomas ,
H. Anil ,
E. J. Redfern  and
R. G. Rodway
M. N. Sillence
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
K. M. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
H. Anil
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
E. J. Redfern
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
R. G. Rodway
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Get access

Abstract

Three experiments were carried out in which plasma cortisol concentrations were measured hourly in lambs treated with various anabolic steroids. In the first experiment, female lambs were implanted with trenbolone acetate (TBA) and plasma cortisol was measured for 24-h periods 4 weeks after implantation and 1 week after reimplantation. Plasma cortisol levels were unaltered 4 weeks after treatment, but were found to be significantly lower 1 week after retreatment. On this occasion, peak concentrations of cortisol after ACTH challenge were also reduced by TBA. In the second experiment, female lambs were implanted with a mixture of TBA and oestradiol and plasma cortisol measured 1 and 4 weeks later. Results were similar to the first experiment although the reduction in plasma cortisol was less. In the third experiment, castrated male lambs were implanted with either TBA, TBA plus oestradiol or a long-acting oestradiol implant. In this experiment, only oestradiol affected plasma cortisol levels, causing a large elevation. All three treatments stimulated growth. Measurement of bound and free cortisol concentration in the third experiment indicated that oestradiol treatment tended to increase the proportion of cortisol present in the free form.

These results suggest that an inhibition of cortisol secretion may be important in the anabolic response of female sheep to TBA. In the male, however, cortisol concentrations are naturally lower and are not further reduced by TBA treatment.

Plasma insulin concentrations were also measured in the castrated males. Neither TBA nor the combined implant altered insulin levels, but oestrogen treatment resulted in a small increase in insulin. The diurnal pattern of plasma insulin closely paralleled that of cortisol.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 44 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 241 - 249
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anil, M. H. 1978. Involvement of the liver in the control of food intake of ruminants as affected by metabolites and hormones. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar
Colby, H. D. and Kittay, J. I. 1972. Sex and substrate effects on hepatic corticosteroi d metabolism in rat. Endocrinology 90: 473.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekins, R. P., Edwards, P. and Newman, B. 1982. The role of binding hormones in protein delivery. In Free Hormones in Blood (ed. Albertini, A. and Ekins, R. P.), pp. 3–36. Elsevier Biomedical Press, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Goldberg, A. L. 1969. Protein turnover in skeletal muscle. Journal of Biological Chemistry 244: 3223–3229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hammond, G. L., Nisker, J. A., Jones, L. A. and Shteri, P. K. 1980. Estimation of the percentage of free steroid in undiluted serum by centrifugal ultrafiltration-dialysis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 255: 5023–5026.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Henricks, D. M., Cooper, J. W., Spitzer, J. C. and Grimes, L. W. 1984. Sex differences in plasma cortisol and growth in the bovine. Journal of Animal Science 59: 376–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, W. M. and Greenwood, F. C. 1962. Preparation of iodine-131 labelled growth hormone of high specific activity. Nature, London 194: 495–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kley, H. K., Bartman, E. and Kirskemper, H. L. 1977. A simple and rapid method to measure nonprotein-bound fractions of cortisol, testosterone and oestradiol by equilibrium dialysis: comparison with centrifugal filtration. Acta Endocrinologica 85: 209–219.Google Scholar
Mayer, M., Shafrir, E., Kaiser, N., Milholland, R. J. and Rosen, F. 1976. Interaction of glucocorticoids with rat skeletal muscle; catabolic effects and hormone binding. Metabolism 25: 157–167.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Odedra, B., Bates, P. C., Nathan, M., Rennie, M. and Millward, D. J. 1980. Glucocorticoid administration and muscle protein turnover. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 39: 82A (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Odedra, B. R. and Millward, D. J. 1982. Effect of corticosterone treatment on muscle protein turnover in adrenalectomized rats and diabetic rats maintained on insulin. Biochemical Journal 204: 663–672.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Quirke, J. F. and Sheehan, W. 1981. Effects of anabolic steroids on the performance of hill and lowland lambs. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 20: 125–135.Google Scholar
Sharpe, P. M., Buttery, P. J. and Haynes, N. B. 1984. Glucocorticoid status and growth manipulation in sheep. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 64: (Suppl.) 310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sillence, M. N. 1985. The role of the adrenal gland in the control of growth, pp. 84–86. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Leeds.Google Scholar
Sillence, M. N., Girling, T. R., Loretto, E. A., Parry, K., Taylor, I. G. and Rodway, R. G. 1985. The relationship between sex differences in growth response to trenbolone acetate and the suppression of adrenal activity in male and female rats. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 44: 61A (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Sillence, M. N., Reford, R. L. H., Tyrer, C., Wimbush, A. P. and Rodway, R. G. 1985. Growth stimulation in female rats by inhibition of glucocorticoid production. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 44: 21A (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Sinnett-Smith, P. A., Dumelow, N. W. and Buttery, P. J. 1983. Effects of trenbolone acetate and zeranol on protein metabolism in male castrate and female lambs. British Journal of Nutrition 50: 225–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sulieman, A. H., Kellas, L. J., Galbraith, H. and Topps, J. H. 1981. Growth performance, carcass characteristics and concentrations of trenbolone and oestradiol-17β in blood following implantation in wether lambs. Animal Production 32: 375 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Szumowski, P. and Grandadam, J. A. 1976. [Comparison of the effects of the diethylstilboestrol and trenbolone acetate alone or with oestradiol-17β on the growth and fattening of ruminants.] Recueil de Medecine Veterinaire 152: 311–321.Google Scholar
Thomas, K. M. and Rodway, R. G. 1983a. Effects of trenbolone acetate on adrenal function and hepatic enzyme activities in female rats. Journal of Endocrinology 98: 121–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, K. M. and Rodway, R. G. 1983b. Effects of trenbolone on corticosterone production by isolated rat adrenal cells. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 42: 43A (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Tomas, F. M., Munro, H. N. and Young, V. R. 1979. Effect of glucocorticoid administration on the rate of muscle protein breakdown in vivo in rats, as measured by urinary excretion of N-methyl-histidine. Biochemical Journal 178: 139–146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trenkle, A. H. 1969. The mechanism of action of estrogen in feeds on mammalian and avian growth. In The Use of Drugs in Animal Feeds, pp. 150–160. Publication, National Academy of Sciences, No. 1879. Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Waterhouse, A., Mcauslan, J., Laird, R. and McClelland, T. H. 1984. Implants for grass finished store Blackface lambs. Animal Production 38: 560–561 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Winer, B. J. 1971. Multifactorial experiments having repeated time measures on the same element. In Statistical Principles in Experimental Design. 2nd ed., pp. 514–603. McGraw Hill, New York.Google Scholar