vasoactive-intestinal-peptide and Adrenocortical-Hyperfunction

Amelioration or cure of hypertension, hypercortisolism, diarrhea with steatorrhea, and massive proteinuria resulted from excision of a pheochromocytoma that contained immunoreactive ACTH, VIP, and somatostatin. Ectopic ACTH production by the tumor was clearly the cause of the hypercortisolism, and the possible involvement of VIP and somatostatin in the diarrhea and steatorrhea was considered. The response to tumor removal suggested that the mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis shown on renal biopsy was also a paraneoplastic phenomenon.

Topics: Adrenal Gland Neoplasms; Adrenocortical Hyperfunction; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; Celiac Disease; Diarrhea; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Pheochromocytoma; Proteinuria; Somatostatin; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide

The ontogeny of the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and somatostatin (SRIF) was studied in various structures of the rat central nervous system (CNS), using specific radioimmunoassays. The effect of adrenal corticoids on the concentration of both peptides was investigated during the development of the rat from 3 days before birth to 2 months after birth. The evolution of both peptides was different since SRIF was found before birth in each structure tested while VIP appeared only after birth in the same structures. However, after birth the ontogeny of VIP and SRIF was quite similar and the maximum concentration of both peptides occurred between day 14 and day 21. Hypercorticism (implant of corticosterone) and hypocorticism (Metyrapone injections) modified the postnatal evolution of both peptides, suggesting that corticoids play an important role in the brain developmental patterns of VIP and SRIF.

Topics: Adrenal Insufficiency; Adrenocortical Hyperfunction; Amygdala; Animals; Brain; Brain Chemistry; Hippocampus; Hypothalamus; Male; Olfactory Bulb; Parietal Lobe; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Somatostatin; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide