Abstract
The fundamental contribution of adrenal corticoid steroid hormones (CORT) in the regulation of a wide range of physiological and behavioral phenomena have now been well documented (Munck et al., 1984). Hormones secreted from the adrenal cortex have been shown to be essential for gene expression, metabolic processes, functions of the immune system and effect of brain function which concern not only the regulation of the adrenal cortex but also contribute to specific aspects of behavior, including learning and memory. In view of the profound role that these hormones play in the regulation of bodily functions, it is not surprising that the regulation of their secretion has been studied extensively. Studies of regulation have been conducted at every level of the regulatory system which includes the adrenal, pituitary, hypothalamus, and many other structures in the central nervous system. Based primarily on the classic contributions of Hans Selye, secretion of these hormones have generally been associated with stressful events. Early stress research emphasized that responses of the organism to a wide variety of stimuli were non-specific. These studies demonstrated increased activity in the adrenal cortex to a variety of “physical” stressors (Selye, 1950). However, in 1975, Mason suggested that much of the early research on stress, especially that involving exposure to a variety of physical stimuli, shared one important characteristic. One of the primary qualities of the stressful experience was exposure of the animal to a novel strange or unfamiliar environment. Therefore, a common element that may have accounted for the adrenal responses was the psychological relevance of the event rather than the particular physical stressors to which they were exposed. Mason was able to demonstrate that exposure of the animals to different physical stimuli, including heat, cold, reduction of caloric intake, was not always accompanied by activation of CORT (corticosterone-cortisol = CORT) particularly, when the stress was imposed in such a way that the animal could not readily detect changes in the environment.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alberts, J. R., 1981, Ontogeny of olfaction: reciprocal roles of sensation and behavior in the development of perception, in: “The development of perception: Psychobiological perspectives,” R. N. Aslin, J. R. Alberts, and M. R. Petersen, eds., Academic Press, New York.
Aslin, R. N., Alberts, J. R., and Petersen, M. R., eds., 1981, “The development of perception: Psychobiological perspectives,” Academic Press, New York.
Bohn, M. C., 1984, Glucocorticoid induced teratologies of the nervous system, in: “Neurobehavioral teratology,” J. Yanai, ed., Elsevier, New York.
Coe, C. L., Stanton, M. E., and Levine S., 1983, Adrenal responses to reinforcement and extinction: Role of expectancy versus instrumental responding, Behav. Neurosc. 97:654.
Coe, C. L., Wiener, S. G., Rosenberg, L. T., and Levine, S., 1985, Physiological consequences of maternal separation and loss in the squirrel monkey, in: “Handbook of squirrel monkey research,” L. A. Rosenblum and C. L. Coe, eds., Plenum, New York.
Coover, G. D., 1983, Positive and negative expectancies: The rat’s reward environment and pituitary-adrenal activity, in: “Biological and psychological basis of psychosomatic disease,” H. Ursin and R. Murison, eds., Pergamon Press, Oxford.
De Kloet, R., Rosenfeld, P., Van Eekelen, J. A. M., Sutanto, W., & Levine, S., 1988, Stress, glucocorticoids and development, in: “Progress in Brain Research,” vol. 73, G. J. Boer, M.G. P. Feenstra, M. Mirmiran, D. F. Swaab, and F. Van Haaren, eds., Elsevier, New York.
Goldman, L., Winget, C., Hollingshead, G. W., and Levine, S., 1973, Postweaning development of negative feedback in the pituitary-adrenal system of the rat, Neuroendocrinology. 12:199.
Gray, G. D., Bergfors, A. M., Levin, R., and Levine S., 1978, Comparison of the effects of restricted morning or evening water intake on adrenocortical activity in female rats, Neuroendocrinology. 25:236.
Hall, W.G. and Rosenblatt, J.S. (1977). Suckling behavior and intake control in the developing rat pup. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol., 91: 1232.
Harlow, H. F., 1959, Love in infant monkeys, Scien. Amer., 200:68.
Hennessy, J. W. and Levine, S., 1979, Stress, arousal and the pituitary-adrenal system: A psychoendocrine model, in: “Progress in psychobiology and physiological psychology,” vol. 8, J. M. Sprague and A. N. Epstein, eds., Academic Press, New York.
Henning, S., 1978a, Plasma concentrations of total and free corticosterone during development in the rat, Amer. J. Physiol., 235:E451.
Henning, S. J., 1978b, Postnatal development: Coordination of feeding, digestion, and metabolism. Amer. J. Physiol., 235, G199.
Heybach, J. P. and Vernikos-Danellis, J., 1979, Inhibition of adrenocorticotrophin secretion during deprivation-induced eating and drinking in rats, Neuroendocrinology. 28:329.
Hofer, M. A., 1978, Hidden regulatory processes in early social relationships, in: “Perspectives in ethology: Social behavior,” vol. 3, P. P. G. Bateson and P. H. Klopfer, eds., Plenum, New York.
Hofer, M. A., 1983, On the relation between attachment and separation processes in infancy, In: “Emotion: Theory, research and experience, vol. 2: Early development,” R. Plutnik, ed., Academic Press, New York.
Hofer, M. A., 1984, Early stages in the organization of cardiovascular control, Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 175:147.
Hofer, M. A. and Shair, H., 1978, Ultrasonic vocalization during social interaction and isolation in two week old rats, Devel. Psychobiol., 11: 495.
Hofer, M. A. and Shair, H., 1982, Control of sleep-wake states in the infant rat by features of the mother-infant relationship, Devel. Psychobiol., 15, 229
Kail, R. V. and Spear, N. E., 1984, “Memory development: Comparative perspectives,” Erlbaum, Hillsdale, N.J.
Leon, M., 1979, Mother-young reunions, in: “Progress in psychobiology and physiological psychology,” vol. 8, J. M. Sprague and A. N. Epstein, eds., Academic Press, New York.
Leon, M. and Moltz, M., 1972, The development of the pheromonal bond in the albino rat, Physiol. & Behav., 8:683.
Levine, S., 1970, The pituitary-adrenal system and the developing brain, Progr.in Brain Res., 32:79.
Levine, S., 1987, Psychobiologic consequences of disruption in mother-infant relationships, in: “Perinatal development: A psychobiological perspective,” N. Krasnegor, E. Blass, M. Hofer, and W. Smotherman, eds., Academic Press, New York.
Levine, S. and Mullins, R. F., Jr., 1966, Hormonal influences on brain organization in infant rats, Science. 152:1585.
Levine, S. and Treiman, D. M., 1969, Determinants of individual differences in the steroid response to stress, in: “Physiology and pathology of adaptation mechanisms,” E. Bajusz, ed., Pergamon, Oxford.
Levine, S., Weinberg, J., and Brett, L. P., 1979, Inhibition of pituitary-adrenal activity as a consequence of consummatory behavior, Psychoneuroendocrinology. 4:275.
Lincoln, D. W., Hill, A., and Wakerley, J. B., 1973, The milk ejection reflex of the rat: An intermittent function not abolished by surgical levels of anesthesia, J. Endocr., 57:459.
Martin, G. R. and Henning, S. J., 1984, Enzymic development of the small intestine: Are glucocorticoids necessary? Amer. J. Physiol., 246, G695.
Mason, J. W., 1975, A historical view of the stress field, J. Hum. Stress. 1:6.
Mineka, S. and Suomi, S. J., 1978, Social separation in monkeys, Psychol. Bull., 85:1376.
Munck, A., Guyre, P. M., Holbrook, N. J., 1984, Physiological functions of glucocorticoids in stress and their relation to pharmacological actions. Endocr. Rev., 5(1):25.
Rosenfeld, P., Sutanto, W., Levine, S., and De Kloet, E. R., in press, Ontogeny of Type I and II corticosteroid receptors in the rat hippocampus, Devl. Brain Res.
Sakly, M., and Koch, B., 1983, Ontogenetical variations of transcortin modulate glucocorticoid receptor function and corticotropic activity in the pituitary gland, Hormone & Metabolic Res., 15:92.
Sapolsky, R. M. and Meaney, M. J., 1986, Maturation of the adrenocortical stress response: Neuroendocrine control mechanisms and the stress hyporesponsive period, Brain Res. Rev., 11:65.
Schanberg, S. M., Evoniuk, G., and Kuhn, C. M., 1984, Tactile and nutritional aspects of maternal care: Specific regulators of neuroendocrine function and cellular development. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 175, 135.
Selye, H., 1950, “Stress,” Acta, Montreal.
Schapiro, S., 1968, Maturation of the neuroendocrine response to stress in the rat, In: “Early experience and behavior,” G. Newton and S. Levine, eds., Thomas, Springfield, IL.
Spear, N. E. and Campbell, B. A., eds., 1979, “Ontogeny of learning and memory.” Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
Stanton, M. E., Gutierrez, Y. R., and Levine, S., in press, Maternal deprivation potentiates pituitary-adrenal stress responses in infant rats. Beh. Neurosc.
Stanton, M. E., and Levine, S., 1985, Maternal modulation of corticosteroid stress responses in infant rats. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Intern. Soc. Devi. Psychobiol., October, Dallas, Texas.
Stanton, M. E., Wallstrom, J., and Levine, S., 1987, Maternal contact inhibits pituitary-adrenal stress responses in preweanling rats. Devl. Psychobiol., 20:131.
Suomi, S. J., in press, The role of touch in rhesus monkey social development, in: “The many facets of touch,” C.C. Brown (Ed.), Johnson & Johnson, Skillman, NJ.
Walker, C. D., Meaney, M. J., Sapolsky, R. M., and Rivier, C., 1986, Increased sensitivity to glucocorticoid feedback during the stress non-responsive period in the neonatal rat, Endocrinology. 119:1816.
Weinberg, J., Smotherman, W. P., and Levine, S., 1980, Early handling effects on the intake of novel substances: Differential behavioral and adrenocortical responses, Behav. Neur. Biol., 29:446.
Weiss, J. M., 1972, Influence of psychological variables on stressinduced pathology, in: “Physiology, emotion & psychosomatic illness,” R. Porter and J. Knight, eds., Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Levine, S., Stanton, M.E., Gutierrez, Y.R. (1988). Maternal Modulation of Pituitary-Adrenal Activity During Ontogeny. In: Chrousos, G.P., Loriaux, D.L., Gold, P.W. (eds) Mechanisms of Physical and Emotional Stress. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 245. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2064-5_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-2064-5_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-2066-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-2064-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive