Hypercorticosteronuria and diminished pituitary responsiveness to corticotropin-releasing factor in obese Zucker rats

Metabolic defects in obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats have previously been shown to be reversed by adrenalectomy; however, hypercorticosteronemia has not been demonstrated. We now report that the total daily excretion of corticosterone and urea nitrogen are significantly greater (P less than 0.01) in obese Zucker rats than in age-matched lean Zucker rats. This excessive excretion of corticosterone is not of autonomous adrenal origin, since dexamethasone treatment (20 micrograms/kg X day) for 2 days induced a proportionate reduction in corticosterone excretion (approximately 50%) in both obese and lean Zucker rats. Corticosterone excretion was further suppressed to levels not different from those in lean rats after 2 days of dexamethasone (40 micrograms/kg X day). Both the peak and total pituitary beta-endorphin secretion in response to an iv bolus of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) were diminished in obese Zuckers. The response to CRF in obese Zucker rats was dampened and superimposable on that of dexamethasone-treated lean Zucker rats, suggesting the existence of chronic hypercorticosteronemia as a component of this genetic obesity. These observations provide evidence for a compensatory alteration of the pituitary-adrenal axis. We suggest that corticosterone turnover may be increased in obese Zucker rats.