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Cited by 276Stress Responses and CortisolAdrenal Hormones and DisordersNeuropeptides and Animal Physiology

Ultradian rhythm of basal corticosterone release in the female rat: dynamic interaction with the response to acute stress

Windle, R. J., Wood, S. A., Shanks, N., Lightman, S. L., Ingram, C. D.·1998·Endocrinology
DOI 10.1210/en.139.2.443
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Abstract

The present study investigated the dynamic regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis and its significance to acute stress responsiveness in the female rat. An automated, frequent blood-sampling technique allowed the circadian rhythm of corticosterone to be resolved into a series of pulses. These were equally distributed (mean interval, 50.9 ± 3.7 min) throughout the 24-h cycle, but their magnitude varied significantly, being higher between 1800–2200 h (137 ± 9 ng/ml) than between 0600–1000 h (75 ± 17 ng/ml). This pattern of release indicates continuous, but variable, activity of the axis throughout the day. The pulsatile ultradian rhythm suggested alternate periods of secretion and inhibition, which were found to have a profound effect on the corticosterone responses to acute stress. Noise stress (10 min, 114 decibels) evoked a transient increase in corticosterone, which reached a maximum (377 ± 87 ng/ml) 20 min after onset. However, within this group (n = 26) the response varied depending on the underlying basal activity. When stress coincided with a rising (secretory) phase of a pulse, corticosterone concentrations rose to 602 ± 150% of mean basal concentrations (P < 0.001). In contrast, when stress coincided with a falling (nonsecretory) phase of a pulse, a significantly smaller response, no greater than a basal pulse, was evoked. Thus, the alternate periods of secretion and inhibition generating basal hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal activity are an important determinant of responses to acute stress.

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Crossref · 10.1210/endo.139.2.5721

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26 of 37 references verified0 citation errors · 7 not checkable

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  • Upon stress, the intensity and duration of the HPA response depend on the specific nature of the stressor and on the circadian or ultradian phase at which stress occurs.

    “Upon stress, the intensity and duration of the HPA response both depend on the specific nature of the encountered stressor (5, 11, 12). The precise circadian or ultraradian phase at which stress occurs also profoundly influences the systemic release of GCs, since higher levels are secreted when the challenge coincides with rising pulses (13).”

    From The HPA – Immune Axis and the Immunomodulatory Actions of Glucocorticoids in the Brain (2014) · cites this paper as [13]

  • New experimental and theoretical results offer enough evidence to support the indispensable roles of ultradian oscillatory dynamics of HPA hormones levels for normal physiology.

    “new experimental [9-15] and theoretical [16-27] results offer enough evidence to support the indispensable roles of ultradian oscillatory dynamics of HPA hormones levels for normal physiology.”

    From Predictive modeling of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute and chronic stress (2011) · cites this paper as [13]

  • Acute stress induces different effects depending on the phase of the ultradian secretion pulse at which the stress has been induced.

    “there are several experimental observa -tions showing that acute stress induces different effects depending on the phase of the ultradian secretion pulse at which the stress has been induced [11, 13-15].”

    From Predictive modeling of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute and chronic stress (2011) · cites this paper as [13]

  • In rats, the same acute stress (5 min white noise stress of 114 dB) applied during the ascending or interpulse phase of the corticosterone ultradian rhythm evokes a significant increase in corticosterone level, whereas no significant response is detected when applied during the descending phase.

    “the same acute stress (5 min white noise stress of 114 dB) applied either in the ascending (secreting) and interpulse phase or during the descending (non-secreting) phase of corticosterone ultradian rhythm evoked significant increase of corticosterone level only when it had been applied during the ascending [13-15] or interpulse [15] phase of ultradian basal corticosterone pulse.”

    From Predictive modeling of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute and chronic stress (2011) · cites this paper as [13]

  • The HPA axis response to stress depends on the ultradian phase.

    “according to which the HPA axis response to stress depends on the ultradian phase (Fig. 2)”

    From Predictive modeling of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to acute and chronic stress (2011) · cites this paper as [13]

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Authors
Windle, R. J., Wood, S. A., Shanks, N., Lightman, S. L., & Ingram, C. D.
Affiliations
  • Bristol Royal Infirmary (GB)
  • University of Bristol (GB)
Corresponding author
Windle, R. J.
ORCID
Venue
Endocrinology
Publisher
The Endocrine Society
Published
1998-02-01
Volume
139
Issue
2
Pages
443-450
ISSN
  • 0013-7227 (ISSN-L)
  • 1945-7170
DOI
10.1210/en.139.2.443
OpenAlex
W2148022513
Cited by
276
References
37
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 9
FWCI
4.01
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Endocrinology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Adrenal Hormones and Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Keywords
ultradian rhythms, corticosterone, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, acute stress response, noise stress, pulsatile hormone secretion, circadian rhythm, female rats
MeSH terms
Activity Cycles, Acute Disease, Animals, Circadian Rhythm, Corticosterone, Female, Noise, Sex Characteristics, Stress, Physiological, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Rats

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