Pretreatment with stress cortisol enhances the human systemic inflammatory response to bacterial endotoxin.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

There is continuing controversy regarding the effect of glucocorticoids on a systemic inflammatory process. Based ona model of glucocorticoid action that includes both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects, we used the human experimental endotoxemia model to test the hypothesis that a transient elevation of plasma cortisol to stress-associated levels would enhance a subsequent (delayed) systemic inflammatory response to bacterial endotoxin.

Design

Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical investigation.

Setting

Academic medical center.

Subjects

Thirty-six healthy human volunteers.

Interventions

Participants were randomized to receive a 6-hr intravenous infusion of saline (control), an intermediate dose of cortisol (Cort80;

SUBMITTER: Yeager MP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2819133 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature