Fetal-maternal endocrine interrelations: the hypophysealadrenal system.

Abstract

The observations of Ingle and Fisher (1938) and of Walaas and Walaas (1944) that adrenalectomy of pregnant rats results in hypertrophy of the fetal adrenal glands and the findings that this hypertrophy can be prevented by the administration of desoxycorticosterone (Houssay, 1945; Walaas and Walaas, 1944) raised certain questions concerning the interrelations of the fetal and maternal hypophyseal-adrenal cortical axes and the functional integrity of the fetal pituitary-adrenal system. Specifically, is the fetal adrenal hypertrophy observed following adrenalectomy of the mother engendered by (a) an increased secretion of maternal ACTH or (b) an increased secretion of ACTH from the fetal pituitary gland, or (c) both? A considerable amount of evidence (Reviewed by Jost, 1953) has been adduced to indicate that the fetal pituitary-adrenal axis is functional and exhibits many of the interrelationships described in adult animals. The suggestion has further been made (Jost, 1953; Jones, Lloyd and Wyatt, 1953)