[Adrenal cortical function in chronic diseases]

The results of a study of the nature of adrenocortical function in 40 patients with tumorous and nontumorous diseases and in 22 monkeys (P. hamadryas) suffering from hemoblastosis with raised glucocorticoid activity of the adrenal glands were presented. A tendency to a decrease in the levels of pregnenolone, 17-hydroxypregnenolone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (precursors in steroid hormones biosynthesis) and a significant decrease in the level of dehydroepiandrosterone were revealed against a background of high blood levels of cortisol. A conclusion was made that these changes were determined by the utilization of precursors in cortisol biosynthesis and a decrease in dehydroepiandrosterone synthesis. The authors emphasized the similarity of the revealed changes with hormonal imbalance in laboratory primates subjected to chronic stress. A conclusion was made of the nonspecific and adaptive nature of the above changes aimed at the maintenance of a high level of cortisol secretion (during chronic stress) playing an important role in the integration of body nonspecific adaptive processes.