Abstract
Increased activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis is part of the response to the stress of initial exposure to hypoxia, but there is evidence to suggest that it persists after homeostatic stability has been regained and acclimatization achieved. The adrenal glands of five lifelong residents of La Paz, Bolivia, who had lived at altitudes in the range 3600–3800 m, were significantly larger than those in age-matched controls from sea level (15.3g vs 10.4g;P<0.001) and appeared hyperplastic. The pituitary glands of the highlanders were not significantly different in size from those of the controls (0.67 g vs 0.51 g), but contained larger populations of corticotrophs expressed in terms of the total cell population of their anterior lobes (25.6% vs 19.4%;P<0.001). In conjunction with other studies of this endocrine axis in man and animals exposed to a hypoxic environment, these data suggest that greater amounts of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) are required to maintain normal adrenocortical function under such circumstances, probably as a result of hypoxic inhibition of adrenocortical sensitivity to stimulation. Physiological hyperplasia of the adrenal cortex may be common in people living at high altitude.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allbrook D (1958) Size of adrenal cortex in East African males. Lancet 2:606–607.
Gosney JR (1984) The effects of hypobaric hypoxia on the corticotroph population of the adenohypophysis of the male rat. J Pathol 142:163–168.
Gosney JR (1985) Adrenal corticomedullary hyperplasia in hypobaric hypoxia. J Pathol 146:59–64
Halpern SR (1938) Quantitative cytological studies of the anterior lobe of the hypophysis of fetuses and children, correlated with sexual and skeletal development. Endocrinology 22:173–180
Lack EE, Travis WD, Oertel JE (1990) Adrenal cortical nodules, hyperplasia, and hyperfunction. In: Lack EE (ed) Pathology of the adrenal glands, Churchill Livingstone, New York, pp 75–113
Marks BH, Bhattacharya AN, Vernikos-Danellis J (1965) Effect of hypoxia on secretion of ACTH in the rat. Am J Physiol 208:1021–1025
Moncloa F, Pretell E (1964) Cortisol secretion rate, ACTH, and methopyrapone tests in high altitude native residents. J Clin Endocrinol 24:915–918
Moncloa F, Pretell E, Correa J (1961) Studies on urinary steroids of men born and living at high altitude. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 108:336–337
Moncloa F, Donayre J, Sobrevialla LA, Guerra-Garcia R (1965) Endocrine studies at high altitude II: adrenal cortical function in sea-level natives exposed to high altitude (4300 m) for two weeks. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 25:1640–1642
Moncloa F, Beteta L, Velazco I, Gomez C (1966) ACTH stimulation and dexamethasone inhibition in newcomers to high altitude. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 122:1029–1031
Moncloa F, Velazco I, Beteta L (1968) Plasma cortisol concentration and disappearance of 4-14C cortisol in newcomers to high altitude. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 28:379–382
Moncloa F, Carcelen A, Beteta L (1970) Physical exercise, acid-base balance and adrenal function in newcomers to high altitude. J Appl Physiol 28:151–155
Pearse AGE (1952) The cytochemistry and cytology of the normal anterior hypophysis investigated by the trichrome periodic acid-Schiff method. J Pathol Bacteriol 64:811–826
Rasmussen AT, Herrick R (1922) A method for the volumetric study of the human hypophysis with illustrative results. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 19:416–423
Siri WE, Van Dyke DC, Winchell HS, Pollycove M, Parker HG, Cleveland AS (1966) Early erythropoietin, blood, and physiological responses to severe hypoxia in man. J Appl Physiol 21:73–80
Sternberger LA (1979) Immunocytochemistry. Wiley, New York
Stirling GA, Keating VJ (1958) Size of the adrenals in Jamaicans. Br Med J 2:1016–1018
Sundstroem ES, Michaels G (1942) The adrenal cortex in adaptation to altitude, climate, and cancer, University Press, California
Sutton JR, Viol GW, Gray GW, McFadden M, Keane PM (1977) Renin, aldosterone, electrolyte and cortisol responses to hypoxic decompression. J Appl Physiol 43:421–424
Symington T (1969) Functional pathology of the human adrenal gland. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore
Timiras PS, Pace N, Hwang CA (1957) Plasma and urine 17-OHCS and urine 17-KS levels in man during acclimatization to high altitude. Fed Proc 16:340
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gosney, J., Heath, D., Williams, D. et al. Morphological changes in the pituitary-adrenocortical axis in natives of La Paz. Int J Biometeorol 35, 1–5 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01040955
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01040955