【Objective】To explore the effect of unilateral ureteral obstruction on the adrenal function in a rat model.【Methods】36 SD rats were randomly divided into two groups:unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO)model was employed,and sham-operated rats were used as control.28 days after surgery,all the rats were submitted to maximum exercise tolerance test(METT),and the maximum aerobic velocity was observed.At the day 0,day 28,and after METT,the serum levels of adrenaline,noradrenaline and corticosterone in rats were detected by ELISA.【Results】1 The maximum aerobic velocity in UUO model rats was lower than that in control rats(P<0.05).2 At the beginning(day 0),there no significant difference were found in the levels of adrenaline,noradrenaline and corticosterone between two groups.3 28 days after surgery,the levels of adrenaline,noradrenaline and corticosterone in UUO model rats were slightly higher than those in control rats,but the differences were not significant(P>0.05).4After METT,the levels of adrenaline and corticosterone in UUO model rats were lower than those in control rats significantly(P<0.05).The level of noradrenaline in UUO model rats was higher than that in control rats,but there is no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05).【Conclusions】Unilateral ureteral obstruction resulted in the decrease of exercise tolerance in rats,which may contribute to the inhibition of the adrenal secretion.
Background Airway symptoms in asthma are related to decrease of epinephrine secretion, which may be ascribed to elevated nerve growth factor （NGF） in the organism. The aim of this study was to monitor the neuroendocrine alteration in the adrenal medulla of asthmatic rats. Methods Sixteen rats were randomly divided into two groups （n=-8）, control group and asthma group, and the asthmatic rats were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin （OVA）. The levels of NGF, epinephrine and norepinephrine in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）, the NGF expression in adrenal medulla was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the changes in the ultrastructure of the adrenal medulla was observed by electron microscopy. Results The NGF expression was increased in asthmatic rats compared with control rats. Compared with control rats, the results indicated that the epinephrine level was decreased in asthmatic rats, but no significant difference was found in norepinephrine levels. We found more ganglion cells in the adrenal medulla of asthmatic rats than in control rats, with NGF immunostaining mainly located in these ganglion cells. Electron microscopic images showed the density of chromaffin granula decreased and there was shrunken nucleolemma in the adrenal medullary cells of asthmatic rats. Conclusion The innervation of the adrenal medulla is changed in asthmatic rats, and it may contribute to the epinephrine decrease in asthma.
