Adrenocorticotropic Regulations after Bilateral Lesions of the Paraventricular or Supraoptic Nuclei and in Brattleboro Rats

The circadian rhythm and ether stress responsiveness of plasma ACTH and corticosterone were explored in chronically cannulated female Sprague-Dawley rats with bilateral lesions of either the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) or supraoptic nuclei and also in female Brattleboro rats. 3 weeks after PVN lesions, the circadian ACTH rhythm had dropped by at least half. Less drastic alterations were measured for the corticosterone rhythm, and only its diurnal maximum and amplitude diminished by one third. Although the kinetics of plasma ACTH and corticosterone stimulation after ether stress were essentially normal, the peaks for both hormones, 5–15 min after stress, were only half as high as the control peaks. The effects of bilateral abolition of supraoptic nuclei on the circadian rhythm of the adrenocorticotropic system were slight, and only the diurnal minimum and mean level of ACTH dropped significantly. Intriguingly, both ACTH and corticosterone levels in rats with supraoptic lesions rose to twice the control levels after ether stress. In Brattleboro rats, neither the circadian rhythm nor stress-induced stimulation of ACTH and corticosterone differed from those of the controls. These data indicate that vasopressin is not essential for either of the regulations of the adrenocorticotropic system. The production of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) involved in both types of regulation clearly originates, at least partly, from the PVN area and no significant contribution is made by the region of the supraoptic nuclei, a finding which conforms to neuroanatomical data. However, it is not yet clear whether the PVN area is the site of origin of the recently characterized 41 amino-acid CRF or of other CRF fractions distinct from vasopressin.