Dynamic measure of production rate of cortisol in the mature guinea-pig in response to the stress of anesthesia: Effect of estradiol

The effect of estradiol on adrenal secretion rate of cortisol in response to a stress induced by anesthesia, was examined by comparing the metabolic clearance rate and the production rate of cortisol between males and females and after estradiol administration in castrated animals. Metabolic clearance rates of cortisol (MCR) were significantly higher (+30%) in males than in females. Castration lowered the MCR of cortisol in males and had no significant effect in females. After estradiol administration, a fall in the MCR of cortisol concomitant with a rise in blood cortisol level was observed especially in males in which the effect of treatment was more marked than in females and highly significant. The production rate of cortisol was identical in males and females and was slightly increased in estradiol-treated males and females. The data indicate that estradiol had an inhibitory effect on metabolic clearance of cortisol, which caused an important rise of blood cortisol levels in response to stress and which prevented an increase in the adrenal response to the stress. Since the pituitary adrenal cortex can respond in a normal way to stress, the low value of MCR of cortisol could be the limiting factor in the adrenal secretion rate of cortisol in estrogen-treated guinea-pigs.