Adrenal responses to calcitonin gene-related peptide in conscious hypophysectomized calves

1. Right adrenal and various cardiovascular responses to an intra-aortic infusion of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; 4 micrograms min-1) have been investigated in the presence and absence of exogenous adrenocorticotrophin ACTH1-24 (2 or 5 ng min-1 kg-1, I.V.). The adrenal clamp technique was employed in conscious calves in which the pituitary stalk had been cauterized 3-7 days previously. 2. At the higher dose (5 ng min-1 kg-1) the I.V. infusion of ACTH raised mean plasma ACTH concentration by about 1000 pg ml-1 and mean right adrenal cortisol output by about 750 ng min-1 kg-1. Under these conditions the intra-aortic infusion of CGRP had no apparent effect on adrenal cortisol output by about 750 ng min-1 kg-1. Under these conditions the intra-aortic infusion of CGRP had no apparent effect on adrenal function, other than to produce moderate adrenal vasodilatation. In contrast, in the absence of exogenous ACTH, the same dose of CGRP produced a substantial rise in cortisol output, which rose steadily to a peak mean value of 409 +/- 31 pg min-1 kg-1 at 10 min. It also significantly inhibited the release of free, but not of total, met5-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity from the gland (P less than 0.001) together with a significantly greater fall in adrenal vascular resistance (P less than 0.001). 3. At the lower dose of ACTH (2 ng min-1 kg-1, I.V.) CGRP raised mean plasma cortisol output from 314 +/- 31 to 486 +/- 44 ng min-1 kg-1 (P less than 0.01) and this effect was not attributable to an increase in the adrenal presentation rate of ACTH. 4. It is concluded that this peptide exerts a steroidogenic action on the adrenal cortex which is manifest in the absence of exogenous ACTH in the functionally hypophysectomized calf.