OBJECTIVES: To explore the damage effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on amygdala cells through the rat CRS model. METHODS: The rat CRS model was established, and the changes in body weight and adrenal mass in control group and CRS group were monitored at 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d. The behavior changes were evaluated by the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries using the elevated plus maze (EPM). ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of rat's corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. The changes of expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in amygdala were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Ultrastructure changes of glial cell were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis rate of amygdala was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group at the same time points, body weight of CRS 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d groups increased slowly, but adrenal mass increased significantly; the serum level of CRH, cortisol and ACTH increased significantly at 7 d, 14 d and 21 d respectively; the expression of GR in amygdala was increased while that of GFAP was decreased; EPM test suggested that the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries decreased significantly after 14 d. The CRS group showed different degrees of glial cell damage in amygdala, and the apoptosis rate of glial cell was significantly increased in 21 d group. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully established a CRS model in rats, and anxiety-like behavioral changes in model rats may be caused by apoptosis of amygdala astrocytes.
Rats ; Animals ; Hydrocortisone/pharmacology* ; Amygdala/metabolism* ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Body Weight

The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vitro the effects of hydrocortisone and aminophylline on adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation in horses. Blood samples from 30 healthy Thoroughbred horses were collected by via jugular venipuncture to assess platelet aggregation. Platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma were prepared from all samples by centrifugation and divided into three different aliquots. In the first aliquot, platelet aggregation was measured after platelet activation with 1 microM and 0.5 microM ADP (Group A). In the other two aliquots, the effect of a 10 min preincubation with hydrocortisone (Group B) or aminophylline (Group C) on ADP-induced aggregation at final ADP concentrations of 1 microM and 0.5 microM was observed. Platelet aggregation, recorded by an aggregometer, was evaluated by measuring the maximum degree of platelet aggregation and the initial velocities of platelet aggregation were obtained. Our results demonstrated the inhibitory effect of hydrocortisone and the induction effect of aminophylline on equine platelet responses in vitro.
Adenosine Diphosphate/pharmacology ; Aminophylline/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/*pharmacology ; Female ; Horses/*physiology ; Hydrocortisone/*pharmacology ; Male ; Platelet Aggregation/*drug effects

Athletes ; Exercise ; Flavones/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone/blood* ; Resistance Training ; Stress, Physiological/drug effects*

Objective: To understand the improvement effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the intestinal flora of mother mice during pregnancy and their offspring who experienced chronic stress, and provide new ideas for improving the effect of stress on the intestinal tract. Methods: From July to October 2019, 24 SPF-grade female SD rats were selected and divided into control group, stress group, and stress+LBP group, with 8 rats in each group. A chronic unpredictable mild stimulation model during pregnancy was established (21 days) , and 40 mg/kg LBP solution was administered by gavage on the 8th day of stress. Venous blood from the medial canthus of the female mice was collected on the 1st day before stress and on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st days, respectively. Cortisol was measured and corticosterone concentration was calculated. The fresh feces of famale mice after stress and 20-day postnatal offspring mice were collected, and Illumina Miseq sequencing technology, alpha diversity and community composition were used to analyze the diversity and structure of intestinal flora. Results: On the 7th and 14th days of stress, the plasma corticosterone concentration of female mice in the stress group and stress+LBP group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05) . In the Alpha diversity of female mice, the Ace index of the stress group was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05) . The analysis of intestinal flora structure showed that at the species level, the proportions of Lachnospiraceae and Lactobacillus in the stress+LBP group were higher than those in the stress group and control group. At the order level, the proportion of Clostridiales in the stress+LBP group was higher than that in the stress group and lower than that in the control group, while the proportion of Lactobacillales was higher than that in the stress group and control group. In the Alpha diversity of the offspring group, the Shannon index, Ace index and Chao index of the stress+LBP offspring group were higher than those of the stress offspring group (P<0.05) . The proportion of Lactobacillus in the stress+LBP offspring group was higher than that in the control offspring group and stress offspring group, and the proportions of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae in the stress+LBP offspring group were higher than those in the stress offspring group, the proportion of Bacteroidales in the stress+LBP offspring group was lower than that in the stress offspring group, and the proportion of Clostridiales in the stress+LBP offspring group was higher than that in the stress and control offspring groups. Conclusion: The intervention of LBP may improve the changes in the intestinal flora diversity, abundance and flora structure of mother mice and offspring caused by pregnancy stress, thereby maintaining the balance of intestinal flora.
Animals ; Corticosterone ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Hydrocortisone ; Mice ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The treatment of choice for symptomatic pituitary adenomas varies according to the hormone secreting types of the adenoma and can include pharmacology, surgery, or radiotherapy. The recent development of radiological imaging and microsurgery has made surgery the treatment of choice for most pituitary tumors. However, the long-term tumor control rate after microsurgery varies from 50% to as high as 80%. During the last 38 months(1990. 5-1990. 9., 1991. 5-1994. 2), 34 cases of pituitary adenomas were treated by gamma knife at Asan Medical Center. There were 11 cases of prolactinomas, 9 cases of acromegaly, 8 cases of ACTH-secreting tumors and 6 cases of non-functioning tumors. Seventeen patients underwent gamma knife radiosurgery for recurrent or remaining tumors after resective surgery. Another 17 patients were treated primarily with gamma knife. In microadenomas, the mean tumor volume was 221 cumm and the mean marginal dose was 33.1 Gy. In microadenomas, the mean tumor volume was 2690 cumm and the mean marginal dose was 2.6 Gy. Twenty-seven patients have had an average follow-up period of 26 months with a range from 3 to 48 months. As a result, five out of eight prolactinoma patients had normalization of prolactin hypersecretion and seven patients showed clinical cure. On follow-up imaging studies, five out of seven tumors showed no changes in their size, while two showed marked reduction. Two out of four ACTH-producing tumor patients showed normalization of 24 hour urine cortisol levels. On follow-up imaging studies of the two cases, the tumor of one patient disappeared and the other one showed no change. Three out of six acromegalic patients showed clinical responses. Two out of five non-functiong tumors showed reduction in size and three showed no changes. In conclusion, gamma knife radiosurgery seems to be effective as adjuvant therapy for the treatment of remaining or recurrent pituitary adenomas after surgery and primary treatment modality in selective patients.
Acromegaly ; Adenoma ; Chungcheongnam-do ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; Microsurgery ; Pharmacology ; Pituitary Neoplasms* ; Prolactin ; Prolactinoma ; Radiosurgery* ; Radiotherapy ; Tumor Burden

The change of endothelial cell viability due to corticosteroid treatment in stored rabbit corneas was investigated. Hydrocortisone was injected into the anterior chamber of enucleated eyeballs which were stored in a moist chamber. After 24,48, or 72 hours of storage, the cornea was removed and stained with trypan blue. The unstained endothelial cells were counted under the light microscope in order to determine the density of viable endothelial cells. The same procedures were done on the contralateral eye with normal saline injected into the anterior chamber instead of hydrocortisone as a control. The density of viable endothelial cells in the corticosteroid-treated group was higher than that of the control group by 1.75%,14.39%, and 27.40% in 24,45, and 72 hour-stored corneas, respectively.
Animals ; Cell Survival/drug effects ; Endothelium, Corneal/*drug effects ; Female ; Hydrocortisone/*pharmacology/physiology ; Male ; Rabbits ; Time Factors ; Tissue Preservation/*methods

AIMTo investigate the regulatory effects of various anti-inflammatory drugs on both endogenous and TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation as well as the relative biological activity.

METHODSHEK293 cells were cultured in 96-well plate and 6-well plate, treated with meloxicam, indomethacin, dexamethasone and hydrocortisone, without or with 10 ng.mL(-1) TNFalpha for 24 hours. Then cell proliferation was measured by MTT and cell apoptosis was analyzed by pI stain-flow cytometry. HEK293/ kappaB-luc cells transfected stably with pElam-kappaB-luc vector, were cultured in 96-well plate and treated as above. Equal amounts of cell lysates were tested for luciferase activity which represents NF-kappaB activation.

RESULTSEndogenous NF-kappaB activation was present in HEK293 cells and its level can be increased about 2 times by 10 ng.mL(-1) TNFalpha-induction. Dexamethasone (1 x 10(-8) mol.L(-1)) and meloxicam (1 x 10(-7) - 1 x 10(-6) mol.L(-1)) can decrease both endogenous and TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation. Hydrocortisone (1 x 10(-9) mol.L(-1)) increases endogenous NF-kappaB activation but decreases TNFalpha-induced one significantly. No influence of indomethacin on endogenous NF-kappaB activation was observed. However, its influence on TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation is needed for further study. Cell apoptosis was observed after treatment with TNFalpha and 1 x 10(-8), 1 x 10(-6) mol.L(-1) dexamethasone and 1 x 10(-7) mol.L(-1) indomethacin, or only with dexamethasone. No significant effect of these anti-inflammatory drugs on cell proliferation was observed.

CONCLUSIONVarious anti-inflammatory drugs differ in their ability to regulate NF-kappaB activation in HEK293 cells, which indicates that NF-kappaB activation might be a potential useful target to study mechanism and for drug screening.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dexamethasone ; pharmacology ; Embryo, Mammalian ; Humans ; Hydrocortisone ; pharmacology ; Indomethacin ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; cytology ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Thiazines ; pharmacology ; Thiazoles ; pharmacology

BACKGROUNDCorticosteroid treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been one of the most controversial clinical issues in critical care. Although the administration of high-dose corticosteroids does not benefit patients with early septic shock and ARDS, recent clinical trials have indicated that treatment with relatively low-dose corticosteroids (2 to 3 mg/kg/day of methylprednisolone or equivalent) may improve outcome when used for late ARDS or persistent septic shock. The underlying mechanism was not fully clarified. Whether the administration of corticosteroids can arrest neutrophil-driven organ injury once started remains to be elucidated.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of hydrocortisone (HC, 6 mg/kg) on oxygen free radicals (OFR) released by PMN and pulmonary pathological changes in rat ALI model induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to investigate the possible mechanism through which corticosteroids exert protective effect on ALI.

METHODSA rat model of ALI was induced by peritoneal injection of 2 x 10(12) Escherichia coli/kg. Fifty-six rats were randomly divided into three groups: normal control group, LPS group and HC group (6 mg/kg). Samples were collected 2 h, 4 h and 6 h after giving LPS to LPS and HC group (6 h after giving normal saline in normal control group) to measure the level of OFR released by PMN using chemiluminescence method based on lumino, and to compae of pulmonary pathological changes among the three groups.

RESULTSPathological examination with light microscope in LPS group showed thickened pulmonary interstitia, inflammatory cell infiltration, edema and hemorrhage, which were in accordance with the features of ALI. There were significant differences in the release of OFR by PMN among the three groups (P < 0.01). The level of OFR released by PMN in LPS group was significantly higher than that of the control group, and continued to increase during the observation period (2 - 6 h after LPS). The release of OFR by PMN in HC group was significantly suppressed as compared with LPS group, which was peaked at 4 h after LPS injection (to 98.2%); there were also significant differences in the grades of ALI pathologic changes among the three groups (P < 0.01). The grades of ALI pathologic changes in LPS group were significantly increased when compared with the normal control group (P < 0.05) while significantly decreased in HC group as compared with LPS group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIt was demonstrated in the LPS induced ALI model that OFR might play an important role in onset of ALI. Intervening with HC (6 mg/kg) treatment could ameliorate the lung injury and exert significant and sustained suppression on the release of OFR by PMN, showing that HC has a protective effect on LPS induced ALI and its theraputic effect occurs possibly through suppression on the release of OFR by PMN.

Acute Lung Injury ; etiology ; immunology ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Glucocorticoids ; pharmacology ; Hydrocortisone ; pharmacology ; Lipopolysaccharides ; adverse effects ; Lung ; immunology ; pathology ; Mice ; Neutrophils ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To explore the immunoregulatory effect of Huangqi Fuzhengtang on immunosuppressive mice. METHODS: The immunosuppressive mouse model was established by using hydrocortisone. Huangqi Fuzhengtang and Yupingfeng San apozema were given to the mice intragastrically. The contents of hemolysin, IL-2, and INF-gamma in the mouse serum and the expression of CD3(+), CD4(+), and CD8(+) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes were measured. RESULTS: Huangqi Fuzhengtang could obviously elevate the contents of hemolysin, IL-2, INF-gamma and the ratio of CD4(+) and CD8+, which was more effective than Yupingfeng San. CONCLUSION Huangqi Fuzhengtang could improve the immune function in the immunosuppressive mice.
Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Astragalus propinquus ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hydrocortisone ; Immunocompromised Host ; drug effects ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects

Ca45 resorption and incoporration into albino rat-bones in tissue culture was considered in studying the pathogenesis of osteoporosiscaused by cotinued administration of glucocorticoid, hydrocortisone succinate. 18-day old tibias were cultured in a chemically defined media, (BGJb). Hydrocotisone showed no effect on Ca45 resorption and little increase of Ca45 incorporation into bone. This may suggest that hydrocortisone produces osteoporosis not by direct effect but by secondary effects on calcium metabolism.
Animal ; Bone Development ; Bone and Bones/embryology ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Calcification, Physiologic/drug effects ; Calcium/metabolism* ; Calcium Radioisotopes ; Hydrocortisone/adverse effects ; Hydrocortisone/pharmacology* ; Osteoporosis/chemically induced* ; Rats ; Tibia ; Tissue Culture