The present study was designed to examine cortisol production by the silver fox fetal adrenals and their response to ACTH at different periods of prenatal life. Serum levels of cortisol were determined on days 35, 40, 45 and 50 of gestation (term on day 52) in embryos of both sexes. Cortisol content in adrenal tissue homogenates and its in vitro adrenal production were also investigated at the same time points. Hormones were measured by RIA. The levels of cortisol changed slightly during embryonic life. The adrenal content and the in vitro production of cortisol increased sharply and progressively (by 4-10 times from days 35 to 50 of gestation). The rises in cortisol content and in vitro production were associated with a rapid growth of the fetal adrenals. There were no sex differences in cortisol level and its adrenal content. ACTH (50 mIU per sample) increased the in vitro cortisol production by the adrenals in the two sexes on all the studied days (by 3-4 times on day 35 and by 1.4-1.7 times on day 50). These results indicate that 1) silver fox fetal adrenals are capable of synthesising cortisol; 2) ACTH is a potent activator of the in vitro cortisol production during embryonic life in this species.
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