Ontogeny of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in the chicken embryo: a review.
Domest Anim Endocrinol
; 26(4): 267-75, 2004 May.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15063920
ABSTRACT
The embryo of the domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus) tenders one distinctive advantage over general mammalian models for investigating the development of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. This is the relative simplicity with which the embryonic endocrine environment can be influenced without confounding maternal influences. The ease of direct manipulation of the embryonic endocrine system has facilitated analysis of the development and function of the HPA axis in the chick embryo. As the chick embryo develops, functional activation of the adrenal gland is regulated at three different levels the adrenal gland itself, the anterior pituitary, and the hypothalamus. The adrenal gland appears capable of independent secretion of glucocorticoids from day 8 until shortly after day 14 of embryonic development, at which point the pituitary influences adrenocortical activity. Around the same age, the hypothalamic level of control also begins. The information covered in this review will describe the major steps in the development of the HPA axis in the chicken embryo and show that the chicken has an emblematic HPA neuroendocrine axis.
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Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pituitary Gland
/
Chick Embryo
/
Adrenal Cortex
/
Hypothalamus
Language:
En
Journal:
Domest Anim Endocrinol
Year:
2004
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States