Basal Cortisol Levels Research Articles

Association between adrenal function and dialysis vintage in hemodialysis patients.

Adrenal insufficiency in hemodialysis patients is commonly encountered in clinical practice. However, its association with end-stage renal disease is unclear. We investigated the relationship between adrenal function and relevant clinical parameters, focusing on dialysis vintage. Altogether, 100 maintenance hemodialysis patients were enrolled (age: 69.8 ± 11.8years, dialysis vintage: 9.4 ± 9.2years). Basal serum cortisol levels were measured and their associations with relevant clinical parameters were investigated. Subsequently, hormone stimulation tests were performed to assess adrenal function. Basal serum cortisol significantly decreased with an increase in dialysis vintage (< 10years, 11.9 ± 3.7μg/dL; 10-19years, 10.9 ± 2.9μg/dL; ≥ 20years, 9.7 ± 3.8μg/dL). Basal cortisol was negatively correlated with dry weight, β2-microglobulin, creatinine, and lymphocyte count and positively correlated with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity. Significant negative correlations were observed between basal cortisol and dialysis vintage after adjusting for confounding variables in the multivariate analysis. Standard adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation tests were performed in 17 patients. Seven patients were diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency and all of them had a long dialysis vintage (≥ 10years). According to the rapid ACTH test, cortisol responses were significantly decreased in patients with long dialysis vintage compared to those with short dialysis vintage (< 10years). Similar findings were observed in ten patients without adrenal insufficiency. The CRH loading test showed similar tendencies, although the differences were not statistically significant. Adrenal function decreased with an increase in dialysis vintage. Long-term dialysis patients might be susceptible to adrenal insufficiency.

Basal Cortisol Levels Are Increased in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Role of Insomnia and Short Sleep Duration

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is frequent in elderly and a risk factor for dementia. Both insomnia and increased cortisol levels are risk factors for MCI. We examined cross-sectionally whether increased cortisol levels are associated with short sleep duration (SSD) and/or the insomnia short sleep duration (ISS) phenotype, in elderly with MCI. One hundred twenty-four participants with MCI and 84 cognitively non-impaired controls (CNI)≥60 years underwent medical history, physical examination, neuropsychiatric evaluation, neuropsychological testing, 3-day actigraphy, assessment of subjective insomnia symptoms, and a single morning plasma cortisol level. The short sleep phenotypes were defined by sleep efficiency below the median of the entire sample (i.e.,≤81%) with at least one insomnia symptom (ISS) or without (SSD). ANOVA models were used to compare the various sleep phenotypes to those who did not present either short sleep or insomnia symptoms [non-insomnia (NI)]. MCI participants had higher cortisol levels compared to the CNI group (p = 0.009). MCI participants with insomnia (n = 44) or SSD (n = 38) had higher cortisol levels compared to the NI group (n = 42; p = 0.014 and p = 0.045, respectively). Furthermore, MCI participants with ISS phenotype but not those with insomnia with normal sleep duration had higher cortisol levels compared to NI (p = 0.011 and p = 0.4, respectively). Both linear trend analyses showed that cortisol reached the highest levels in the ISS phenotype. The ISS and SSD phenotypes are associated with increased cortisol levels in elderly with MCI. Improving sleep quality and duration and decreasing cortisol levels may delay further cognitive decline.

The Frequency of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Obese Children and Adolescents and Its Relationship with Metabolic Parameters and Atherogenic Index.

ObjectiveThe effect of subclinical hypothyroidism on glucose and lipid metabolism in obese children is controversial. This study aims to compare cardiovascular risk factors in obese patients with or without subclinical hypothyroidism and determine the frequency of subclinical hypothyroidism in obese children and adolescents.Materials and MethodsA total of 1130 obese children and adolescents aged 6–18 years were included in this single-center cross-sectional study. Metabolic parameters such as thyrotropin, free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, atherogenic index, and lipids were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups—subclinical hypothyroidism group (free thyroxine normal, thyroid-stimulating hormone 5.5–10 mIU/L) (n = 59) and the control group (free thyroxine normal, thyroid-stimulating hormone < 5 mIU/L) (n = 1071).ResultsSubclinical hypothyroidism was detected in 59 (5.2%) of 1130 patients. The mean body mass index was similar in both groups. The mean serum insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, triglyceride, atherogenic index of plasma, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase levels were higher in the subclinical hypothyroidism group, and the mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was lower than the control group (P = .005, P < .001, P = .028, P < .001, P = .001, P < .001, and P = .018, respectively). While a positive correlation was observed between the thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and insulin, homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance, alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, and basal cortisol levels, a negative correlation was found between thyroid-stimulating hormone and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.ConclusionSubclinical hypothyroidism can negatively affect the lipid and glucose profile.

Assessing recovery of adrenal function in glucocorticoid-treated patients: Our strategy for screening and management

BackgroundLong-term glucocorticoid (GC) use is the most frequent cause of adrenal insufficiency through suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. There are no guidelines for predicting adrenal insufficiency (AI) and minimizing its risk. MethodsThis is a prospective observational study carried out in the Endocrinology-Diabetology and Nutrition department between 2014 and 2021. All patients had received GC therapy for longer than 3 weeks before switching to hydrocortisone substitution, for various indications. These patients were admitted to our department for stimulation tests. We assessed the prevalence of AI, predicting factors, screening and management. ResultsIn our study the GC-induced AI was found in 49% of patients. We found a strong correlation between the basal morning serum cortisol, body mass index and the peak cortisol level after stimulation tests, while no correlation was found between adrenal function and age, sex, indication of GC therapy, duration of corticosteroid therapy, cumulative dose and daily dose. Patients with GC induced AI took a mean of 12 ± 12,18 months to recover. Adrenal function recovery rate was higher in patients tested by short Synacthen than in those tested by Insulin Hypoglycemia. ConclusionsWe demonstrated the positive correlation between serum cortisol peak levels after stimulation and body mass index. The study supports that basal cortisol level, the duration of corticoid cessation and the type of stimulation test can predict the response of cortisol to stimulation tests.

Diagnostic value of basal cortisol level to predict adrenal insufficiency in patients treated with glucocorticoids during COVID-19: a single centre observational cohort study

Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology ISSN 1470-3947 (print) | ISSN 1479-6848 (online)

Diagnostic accuracy of basal cortisol level to predict secondary adrenal insufficiency in patients with pituitary disease

Diagnostic accuracy of basal cortisol level to predict secondary adrenal insufficiency in patients with pituitary disease

The Kratom‐Derived Alkaloid Mitragynine Enhances Cortisol Secretion from a Human Adrenocortical Cell Line

Kratom is a tropical evergreen tree indigenous to Southeast Asia whose leaves and decoctions have long been used in traditional folk medicine for the relief of pain and enhancement of vitality. In recent years kratom use has increased in the United States, where an estimated 10‐15 million people use the herb for the self‐management of pain and opioid withdrawal. Kratom leaves contain over 40 active alkaloids, with the most important being mitragynine, 7‐hydroxymitragynine and paynantheine. To further explore the possible anti‐inflammatory actions of these kratom alkaloids, we examined their effects on cortisol secretion in a human adrenocortical cell line. HAC15 cells were exposed to vehicle or mitragynine, 7‐hydroxymitragynine, and paynantheine (10 μM). After 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, cortisol secretion was examined. Basal cortisol secretion was significantly increased by mitragynine at all timepoints, with maximal effect at 96 h (in ng/mL: vehicle, 8.9±1.1; 10 μM mitragynine, 47.3±0.7; n=4). Alternatively, 7‐hydroxymitragynine only significantly increased basal cortisol levels at the 96 h timepoint (in ng/mL: vehicle, 8.9±1.1; 10 μM 7‐hydroxymitragynine, 17.4±1.2; n=4), while paynantheine only significantly increased basal cortisol levels at the 24 h timepoint (in ng/mL: vehicle, 23.4±1.0; 10 μM paynantheine, 32.8±2.2; n=4). Additional studies are currently being done to characterize effects on cellular viability and concentration responses for each of these kratom alkaloids on cortisol secretion. These data indicate that mitragynine can enhance cortisol secretion in vitro and suggest that such a mechanism may contribute to the possible analgesic actions of kratom in vivo.

Silver nanoparticles modify the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis and block cortisol response to an acute stress in zebrafish, Danio rerio.

The present study aimed at assessing the effects of exposure to silver nanoparticle (AgNP) and a subsequent acute stress on the expression of various genes involved in the hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis in zebrafish, Danio rerio. The fish were exposed to 0 (Control), 0.1 (LC), 0.4 (MC), and 1.2 (HC) mg Ag/L (as AgNP) over a 2-week period, followed by an acute air exposure stress. The whole body cortisol and the expression of selected genes in the fish brain and kidney were analyzed, before and after the acute stress. The results showed that AgNP increased basal cortisol levels and the expression of corticotropin releasing factor, prohormone convertase 1, pro-opiomelanocortin, and melanocortin 2 receptor; however, it suppressed/inhibited whole body cortisol, brain corticotropin releasing factor responses, pro-opiomelanocortin, and the kidney melanocortin 2 receptor responses to the acute stress. AgNP down-regulated the expression of the steroidogenic acute regulatory protein, but it intensified the gene expression in response to the acute stress. Before the acute stress, LC treatment exhibited an up-regulation in Cytochrome P450-11A-1 expression, but MC and HC treatments induced down-regulation. After the acute stress, the AgNP-exposed fish exhibited decreased Cytochrome P450-11A-1 expressions, compared with the Control. Exposure to AgNP significantly increased Cytochrome P450-11B expression. However, after the acute stress, LC treatment exhibited an up-regulation, but MC and HC treatments exhibited down-regulation in the Cytochrome P450-11B gene expression. In conclusion, AgNP suppressed cortisol response to stress, which appears to be a consequence of alterations in the HPI axis at the transcriptomic levels.

The association of basal cortisol levels with episodic memory in older adults is mediated by executive function

Elevated basal cortisol levels in elderly may indicate dysregulation of the internal stress-related system, as well as dysfunction and structural alterations in brain structures necessary for cognition, such as hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Because of the close relation of executive functions and episodic memory processing, in this study we explored whether the association of elevated cortisol levels on episodic memory could be partly attributed to cortisol effects on executive functions. In this cross-sectional study we analyzed data from a sample of 236 community-dwelling older adults from the Cretan Aging Cohort aged 75.56 ± 7.21 years [53 with dementia due to probable Alzheimer’s disease, 99 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and 84 cognitively non-impaired participants (NI)]. Morning serum cortisol levels were higher in the probable AD as compared to the NI group (p = .031). Mediated regression models in the total sample supported the hypothesis that the negative association of basal cortisol levels with delayed memory was fully mediated by the relation of basal cortisol levels with executive functions and immediate memory (adjusted for age and self-reported depression symptoms). Moderated mediation regression models revealed that the direct effect of cortisol on executive function and the effect of executive function on delayed memory performance were statistically significant among participants diagnosed with MCI, while the immediate memory effect on delayed memory was more pronounced in AD patients, as compared to the NI group. The current findings corroborate neuroimaging research highlighting cortisol effects on executive functions and immediate memory and further suggest that dysregulation of systems involved in these functions may account for the purported detrimental long-term effects of high cortisol levels on delayed memory.

Exploring the role of endocrine factors in sensitive parenting in men

Parental sensitivity has been studied extensively in parenting research. Recently, there has been increasing attention to endocrine factors that may be related to parental sensitivity, such as oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol. Although hormones do not act in isolation, few studies integrated multiple hormones and examined their combined associations with parental sensitivity. The current study aimed to explore the hormonal correlates of paternal sensitivity by examining in 79 first-time fathers of young infants (2–4 months old) (1) the separate and combined associations of basal oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol levels with sensitivity, and (2) the associations between paternal sensitivity and oxytocin, vasopressin, testosterone, and cortisol reactivity following father-infant interactions. We additionally explored whether interactions between the various basal hormone levels could predict paternal sensitivity. Saliva for the quantification of fathers' hormone levels was sampled before and after an interaction with their infant to determine basal levels and reactivity. Results revealed no significant associations between sensitivity and basal hormone levels or reactivity. However, results indicated that cortisol and testosterone interacted in their effects on paternal sensitive parenting. Namely, fathers with low basal cortisol levels showed more sensitivity with increasing T levels, but fathers with high cortisol levels were less sensitive with increasing T levels. However, it should be noted that the latter slope was not significantly different from zero. These findings suggest that variations in parental sensitivity might be better explained by interactions between hormones than by single hormone levels.

Нейроендокринно-імунний супровід діуретичного ефекту бальнеотерапії на курорті Трускавець

Мета: виявити супутні зміни параметрів нейроендокринно-імунного комплексу і мікробіоценозу товстого кишечника, що супроводжують діуретичний ефект бальнеотерапії на курорті Трускавець. Результати. У спостереженні за 22 чоловіками, хворими на хронічний пієлонефрит в поєднанні з холециститом, виявлено, що 10–12-денний курс бальнеотерапії (пиття біоактивної води «Нафтуся», аплікації озокериту, мінеральні ванни) збільшує добовий діурез на 28 % (p &lt; 0,001). Це поєднується із збільшенням екскреції фосфатів на 103 % (p &lt; 0,001), кальцію — на 76 % (p &lt; 0,01), креатиніну — на 32 % (p &lt; 0,02), сечової кислоти — на 29 % (p &lt; 0,001), сечовини — на 21 % (p &lt; 0,01), магнію — на 19 % (p = 0,05) при відсутності суттєвих змін екскреції хлориду, калію і натрію. При цьому знижується рівень у плазмі креатиніну на 14 % (p &lt; 0,001) і сечовини на 11 % (p &lt; 0,01). Лейкоцитурія зменшується на 16 % (p &lt; 0,02). Екскреторно-депураційний і протизапальний ефекти бальнеотерапії супроводжуються відчутною модуляцією параметрів нейроендокринно-імунного комплексу. Зокрема, зменшується як абсолютна, так і відносна щільність спектральної потужності (PSD) δ- і α-ритмів (p &lt; 0,05–0,01), і підвищується відносна PSD β-ритму (p &lt; 0,05–0,02) базальної електроенцефалограми. Разом з тим знижуються індекси варіабельності ритму серця: (VLF + LF)/HF — на 34 % (p &lt; 0,05) і LF/HF — на 32 % (p &gt; 0,05) за рахунок підвищення PSD HF більшою мірою, ніж LF. Базальний рівень у плазмі кортизолу знижується на 20 % (p &lt; 0,01), тестостерону — на 15 % (p = 0,01), натомість підвищується рівень трийодтироніну — на 4 % (p &lt; 0,05) і особливо кальцитонінової активності — на 92 % (p &lt; 0,001), розрахованої за екскрецією з сечею фосфатів і кальцію. Лейкоцитарний індекс адаптації Поповича зростає на 46 % (p &lt; 0,02). Стосовно параметрів фагоцитарної функції нейтрофілів констатовано підвищення зниженого індексу кілінгу ними Staphylococcus aureus на 19 % (p &lt; 0,001) і Escherichia coli на 18 % (p &lt; 0,01) за відсутності змін початково нормальних фагоцитарних індексів. Мікробне число стосовно Staphylococcus aureus залишається нормальним, а початково підвищена на 15 % інтенсивність фагоцитозу Escherichia coli знижується на 8 % (p &lt; 0,05). Стосовно параметрів імунітету виявлено значуще підвищення рівня в крові лише CD16+ лімфоцитів (+17 %, p &lt; 0,01) при відсутності змін рівнів CD3+CD4+ і CD3+CD8+ Т-лімфоцитів і CD19+ В-лімфоцитів. Не змінюються суттєво ні рівні в сироватці Ig G, M, A, ні циркулюючих імунних комплексів. Імунотропний ефект супроводжується редукцією проявів дисбактеріозу: вміст Bifidumbacter зростає на 19 % (p &lt; 0,02), Lactobacter — на 20 % (p &lt; 0,05), а Escherichia coli — на 48 % (p &lt; 0,01), при цьому доля штамів з ослабленими ферментативними властивостями зменшується на 47 % (p &lt; 0,001), з гемолітичними властивостями — на 77 % (p &lt; 0,01). Висновок. Бальнеотерапія на курорті Трускавець чинить відчутний діуретичний ефект, що поєднується з активацією екскреторної і депураційної функцій нирок та бактерицидної функції нейтрофілів, редукцією дисбактеріозу товстого кишечника, лейкоцитурії і нейроендокринних проявів стресу.

Evaluation of adrenal function in hemodynamically stable patients with liver cirrhosis.

Aim of the studyTo estimate the prevalence of adrenal insufficiency (AI) in hemodynamically stable cirrhotic patients and to evaluate the potential association with patients’ clinical characteristics, cirrhosis etiology and liver disease severity.Material and methodsThe cross-sectional study included 132 stable liver cirrhosis patients. Severity of liver disease was graded using the Child-Pugh classification and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The adrenal function was evaluated by measuring basal and peak cortisol after 60 minutes following the short Synacthen test (SST). Differences in terms of demographic data, clinical information and liver disease severity were compared between cirrhotic patients with and without AI.ResultsOut of 132 cirrhotic patients, 86 patients had evidence of AI based on the peak serum cortisol value while the prevalence was lower (67 patients out of 132) when basal cortisol level was taken as the basis. A total of 82 patients were classified as Child-Pugh class C, with an average MELD score of 20 ±7.1. Most patients with AI had Child-Pugh class C. Patients with AI had a higher prevalence of ascites, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and hepatic encephalopathy, a higher MELD score and a lower serum sodium level compared to patients with normal adrenal function. AI was not related to the etiology of cirrhosis but was related to the severity of liver disease and the degree of hyponatremia.ConclusionsAdrenal insufficiency is common among hemodynamically stable patients with cirrhosis. It is related to the severity of liver disease and the degree of hyponatremia.

Social Skills and Behavioral Problems in Adolescents with Child Sexual Abuse, and Their Relation to Basal Cortisol

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a stressful associated with alterations in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-adrenal (HPA) axis and behavioral problems. Children and adolescents with history of CSA could have higher cortisol levels, as these have been associated with deleterious changes in brain regions involved in controlling social behavior and self-control. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship among basal cortisol levels, social skills and behavioral problems in adolescents with CSA by evaluating two groups: one consisting of 12 - 15-year-old girls with CSA (n = 23), the other healthy comparison adolescents with no history of child abuse (n = 23). Social skills and behavioral problems were assessed using the Social Skills Improvement System. Three saliva samples were collected from each participant. The girls with CSA had lower social skills and more behavioral problems, as well as, higher cortisol concentrations. Besides, these participants showed significant negative correlations among cortisol levels and social skills, as well as, positive correlations with behavioral problems scales. It is feasible to suggest that the social deficiencies observed in these participants with CSA are related to alterations of the HPA.

Basal serum cortisol levels predict a normal response to the Synacthen stimulation test in hospitalised patients.

The short Synacthen test (SST) is widely used to assess the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in the outpatient setting. However, in the inpatient setting, technical difficulties to adhere to the protocol may pose a challenge for using this test. To find the most suitable basal serum cortisol (BSC) cut-off for predicting an adequate response to the SST in non-critically inpatients without conducting the actual test. Information was retrieved retrospectively from medical files of 197 patients who had had a 250 μg SST between the years 2000 and 2016 at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center. BSC, electrolytes, creatinine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, blood counts and blood pressure values were evaluated for a correlation with the results of the SST. A BSC cut-off of 280 nmol/L provides a negative predictive value of 94% for adrenal insufficiency (AI). Using a cut-off of 380 nmol/L increases the sensitivity to 96% and yields a negative predictive value of 95.8%. In this study, we found two suitable BSC cut-offs for predicting an adequate response to the SST in hospitalised patients. We suggest using the lower cut-off (280 nmol/L) for patients with a low level of suspicion for AI and using the higher cut-off (380 nmol/L) for patients with a higher level of suspicion. A BSC above this cut-off makes the diagnosis of AI very unlikely and precludes the need for a Synacthen test.

Cis-bifenthrin inhibits cortisol and aldosterone biosynthesis in human adrenocortical H295R cells via cAMP signaling cascade

Cis-bifenthrin (cis-BF) is a common-used pyrethroid insecticide frequently detected in environmental and biological matrices. Mounting evidence highlights the endocrine disrupting effects of cis-BF due to anti-estrogenic or anti-androgenic activity. However, little is known about the exposure effects of cis-BF on adrenal cortex function. In this study, effects of cis-BF on biosynthesis of adrenal steroids, as well as the potential mechanisms were investigated in human adrenocortical carcinoma (H295R) cells. Cis-BF decreased basal production levels of cortisol and aldosterone, as well as cAMP-induced production of cortisol. Both he basal and cAMP-stimulated transcriptional levels of several steroidogenic genes were significantly down-regulated by cis-BF. As an important rate-limiting enzyme in steroidogenesis, the protein level of StAR was prohibited by cis-BF on both basal and cAMP-induced conditions. Intracellular level of cAMP was significantly reduced by cis-BF. Overall, these data suggest that cis-BF may inhibit the biosynthesis of cortisol and aldosterone via disrupting cAMP signaling cascade.

Steeper basal cortisol slopes are associated with elevated risk of pathological amyloid‐beta accumulation

AbstractBackgroundThe accumulation of amyloid‐beta (Aβ) plaques, the hallmark neuropathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), begins several decades prior to the onset of cognitive symptoms. The progression of the disease is believed to be driven by this accumulation; therefore, there is interest in identifying factors which trigger or accelerate the aggregation of Aβ. We examined whether changes or elevations in basal cortisol levels predicted the transition to a state of Aβ‐positivity, as determined by Pittsburgh Compound B (PIB) thresholds.MethodData were utilized from the neuroimaging subset of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. One‐hundred and fifteen middle‐aged to older adults (mean age 58.39 at baseline) with at least two 24‐hour urinary free cortisol measures collected prior to reaching the threshold for Aβ‐positivity were included.ResultA Cox regression model showed that after controlling for age, the slope of basal cortisol levels over time was significantly associated with the risk of becoming Aβ‐positive, such that each standard deviation unit increase in slope was associated with a 38% increase in Aβ‐positivity risk. Conversely, the average cortisol level during this same period was not significantly associated with Aβ‐positivity risk (HR = 1.03, p = 0.14).ConclusionThese results suggest that increases in basal cortisol levels, regardless of the average level, are associated with increased likelihood of pathological Aβ accumulation. Further investigation is warranted to determine whether basal cortisol increases directly contribute to increased Aβ accumulation and whether this mechanism can be targeted by therapeutic intervention.

Boldness Predicts Aggressiveness, Metabolism, and Activity in Black Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii

Animal personality refers to individual behavioral and physiological differences that are consistent over time and across context. Recently, the fish personality has gained increasing attention, especially from the perspective of aquaculture production. Here, we used an important aquaculture species, black rockfishSebastes schlegelii, as the target animal, and conducted a series of experiments to explore the relationships among fish boldness, aggressiveness, locomotor activity, opercular beat rate, standard metabolic rate, and cortisol level. Generally, the results showed that the boldness of black rockfish was significantly, positively correlated with fish aggressiveness, stressed locomotor activity, and standard metabolic rate, while was negatively correlated with stressed opercular beat rate. Bold fish had significantly higher aggressiveness, standard metabolic rate, and stressed locomotor activity but lower stressed opercular beat rate. However, there were no significant correlations between boldness and basal locomotor activity or between boldness and basal cortisol level. These results preliminarily constructed the behavioral and physiological spectrum of black rockfish in the context of fish personality and clearly indicated that the boldness could be used as a discrimination tool to predict fish aggressiveness and metabolic rate, which may have valuable applications for decreasing fish harmful aggression and increasing fish welfare in the aquaculture industry.

Knockout of the hsd11b2 Gene Extends the Cortisol Stress Response in Both Zebrafish Larvae and Adults.

The Hsd11b2 enzyme converts cortisol into its inactive form, cortisone and regulates cortisol levels, in particular in response to stress. Taking advantage of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated a hsd11b2 zebrafish mutant line to evaluate the involvement of this gene in stress response regulation. The absence of a functional Hsd11b2 affects survival of zebrafish, although homozygous hsd11b2−/− mutants can reach adulthood. Reproductive capability of hsd11b2−/− homozygous adult males is almost completely abrogated, while that of females is reduced. Interestingly, basal cortisol levels and glucocorticoid-dependent transcriptional activities are not affected by the mutation. In agreement with basal cortisol results, we also demonstrated that basal response to light (LMR-L/D) or mechanical (VSRA) stimuli is not significantly different in wild-type (hsd11b2+/+) compared to mutant larvae. However, after exposure to an acute stressor, the cortisol temporal patterns of synthesis and release are prolonged in both 5 days post fertilization larvae and one-year-old adult hsd11b2−/− zebrafish compared to wild-type siblings, showing at the same time, at 5 dpf, a higher magnitude in the stress response at 10 min post stress. All in all, this new zebrafish model represents a good tool for studying response to different stressors and to identify mechanisms that are induced by cortisol during stress response.

Study of Effect of Whitening Creams on Serum Basal Cortisol level In Egyptian Females

Abstract Objective The aim of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between practice of whitening creams (Topical Corticosteroids) and serum cortisol level in a sample of healthy females at Ain- shams University Teaching hospital. Background Topical corticosteroids (TCs) are widely used as depigmenting agents alone or in combination with other fairness creams. Secondary adrenocortical insufficiency occurs due to deficiency of corticotropin (adrenocorticotropic hormone) [ACTH] in the pituitary gland. With low levels of corticotropin, cortex layer in the adrenal gland is not sufficiently stimulated to release adequate amount of cortisol. Excessive glucocorticoid therapy is the primary cause of adrenocortical insufficiency. Methods we recruited 45 subjects practice whitening creams (TCs) for three months or more; matched with a healthy control group consists of 45 participants. Early morning basal serum cortisol level (8:00 am) done by one-step competitive immunoassay using Beckman Coulter device. Cortisol ELISA Kit provided by CALBIOTECH, Inc (Co_103S). Results Early morning serum cortisol level was statistically insignificant among subjects practice whitening creams in combination with TCs vs. healthy controls (p value 0.307). However, there were 7 out of 45 participants in the study group (15.6%) had low serum cortisol level (&amp;lt;5ug/dl) with highly statistically significant difference regarding whitening creams usage methods. In comparison and data analysis between subjects of the study group regarding practice duration, used quantity, application frequency, and method of exposure, there was high statistically significant difference between subjects with normal cortisol level vs. subjects with low cortisol level (p value &amp;lt;0.001). There were, no significant difference found regarding BMI, and arterial blood pressure between study group and controls. Conclusion Whitening creams abuse especially high potency TCs is a common phenomenon that may induce several local and systemic complications including adrenal gland insufficiency.

Methylprednisolone stimulated gene expression (GILZ, MCL-1) and basal cortisol levels in multiple sclerosis patients in relapse are associated with clinical response

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the main treatment of relapse in multiple sclerosis (MS). Decreased sensitivity to GCs in MS patients has been associated with lack of the suppressive effect of GCs on inflammatory molecules as well as increased resistance to apoptosis. We investigated GC-sensitivity by measuring the effect of intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) treatment on transactivation of anti-inflammatory and apoptotic genes (GILZ, MCL-1 and NOXA respectively), in accordance to clinical outcome. Thirty nine MS patients were studied: 15 with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), 12 with relapsing remitting (RRMS) and 12 with secondary progressive (SPMS) under relapse. Patients underwent treatment with IVMP for 5 days. Blood was drawn before IVMP treatment on day 1 and 1 h after IVMP treatment on days 1 and 5. GIlZ, MCL-1 and NOXA were determined by qPCR. The Expanded Disability Status was evaluated and patients were divided according to their clinical response to IVMP. GILZ and MCL-1 gene expression were significantly higher following first IVMP treatment in responders, compared to non-responders. Furthermore, serum basal cortisol and 1,25-OH Vitamin D levels were significantly higher in clinical-responders as compared to non-clinical responders. Our findings suggest that the differential GILZ and MCL-1 gene expression between clinical-responders and non-clinical responders may implicate the importance of GILZ and MCL-1 as possible markers for predicting glucocorticoid sensitivity and response to GC-therapy in MS patients following first IVMP injection.