Effects of epinephrine on the production and metabolic clearance of cortisol in normal men and women and in women with idiopathic hirsutism.

Abstract

ABSTRACT The influence of epinephrine on the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and production rate (PR) of cortisol was determined in normal men and women and in women with idiopathic hirsutism. MCR was measured using a constant infusion of 3H-cortisol and PR calculated as the product of MCR and plasma cortisol concentration according to the model of Tait. After control observations 0.5 μg/kg epinephrine was injected intravenously in one minute followed by a constant infusion at a rate of 0.5 mg/h. The mean cortisol MCR was 10.3 litres/h in males and 7.9 litres/h in females. In neither sex was it altered by epinephrine. The mean baseline cortisol PR in males was 568 μg/h; it increased to 940 μg/h with epinephrine (P < .025 > .01). In hirsute females the mean baseline cortisol PR was 697 μg/h with an increase to 1067 μg/h with epinephrine. In normal females, the increase in cortisol PR was less (515 μg/h to 638 μg/h). Adrenal responsiveness to epinephrine, as measured by the production of cortisol, appears greater in hirsute than in normal women. Possible relationships between this difference and the development of hirsutism are discussed.