Inhibitory Effects of a Pineal Extract on Adrenal Cortex Lack of Competition with ACTH

1980 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark L. Heiman ◽  
Johnny R. Porter
1972 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Dickson ◽  
David L. Hasty

ABSTRACT The following experiments were undertaken to determine the effects that the pineal secretory substance might have on compensatory adrenal hypertrophy and corticosterone plasma levels in unilaterally adrenalectomized rats. It was demonstrated that blinded animals and animals administered with a bovine pineal extract exhibited a reduction in the percentage compensatory adrenal hypertrophy, a reduction in the thickness of the zona fasciculata, and a reduction in the plasma corticosterone level. These inhibitory effects were reversed by pinealectomy and ACTH injections, suggesting that the pineal gland, acting as a mediator for environmental lighting, might influence synthesis and/or release of ACTH.


Author(s):  
T. M. Murad ◽  
Karen Israel ◽  
Jack C. Geer

Adrenal steroids are normally synthesized from acetyl coenzyme A via cholesterol. Cholesterol is also shown to enter the adrenal gland and to be localized in the lipid droplets of the adrenal cortical cells. Both pregnenolone and progesterone act as intermediates in the conversion of cholesterol into steroid hormones. During pregnancy an increased level of plasma cholesterol is known to be associated with an increase of the adrenal corticoid and progesterone. The present study is designed to demonstrate whether the adrenal cortical cells show any dynamic changes during pregnancy.


Author(s):  
K. Kovacs ◽  
E. Horvath ◽  
W. Singer

Secretion of ACTH by non-pituitary neoplasms is recognized with increasing frequency. While the clinical and biochemical changes associated with ectopic ACTH production have been extensively studied recently, relatively little attention was focused on the morphology of the adrenal cortex and, to our knowledge, the fine structure of the adrenocortical cells in cases of ectopic ACTH syndrome has not been described so far. We report here the electron microscopic findings in the adrenal cortex of a 50-year-old man with a pancreatic apudoma. The patient showed the characteristic clinical and biochemical features of ectopic ACTH syndrome and because of extensive hypercorticism, underwent bilateral adrenalectomy.By light microscopy, the adrenal cortices showed extensive compact cell hyperplasia and lipid depletion. The zona glomerulosa was present in small foci and, except for a few places, fasciculata cells were noted under the fibrous capsule.


Author(s):  
Pınar Ercan ◽  
Sedef Nehir El

Abstract. The goals of this study were to determine and evaluate the bioaccessibility of total anthocyanin and procyanidin in apple (Amasya, Malus communis), red grape (Papazkarası, Vitis vinifera) and cinnamon (Cassia, Cinnamomum) using an in vitro static digestion system based on human gastrointestinal physiologically relevant conditions. Also, in vitro inhibitory effects of these foods on lipid (lipase) and carbohydrate digestive enzymes (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) were performed with before and after digested samples using acarbose and methylumbelliferyl oleate (4MUO) as the positive control. While the highest total anthocyanin content was found in red grape (164 ± 2.51 mg/100 g), the highest procyanidin content was found in cinnamon (6432 ± 177.31 mg/100 g) (p < 0.05). The anthocyanin bioaccessibilities were found as 10.2 ± 1%, 8.23 ± 0.64%, and 8.73 ± 0.70% in apple, red grape, and cinnamon, respectively. The procyanidin bioaccessibilities of apple, red grape, and cinnamon were found as 17.57 ± 0.71%, 14.08 ± 0.74% and 18.75 ± 1.49%, respectively. The analyzed apple, red grape and cinnamon showed the inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 544 ± 21.94, 445 ± 15.67, 1592 ± 17.58 μg/mL, respectively), α-amylase (IC50 38.4 ± 7.26, 56.1 ± 3.60, 3.54 ± 0.86 μg/mL, respectively), and lipase (IC50 52.7 ± 2.05, 581 ± 54.14, 49.6 ± 2.72 μg/mL), respectively. According to our results apple, red grape and cinnamon have potential to inhibit of lipase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase digestive enzymes.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ascension Pagan ◽  
Hazel Blythe ◽  
Kevin Paterson ◽  
Simon Liversedge

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