Effects of pantothenic acid supplement on secretion of steroids by the adrenal cortex in female rats.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Animal and in-vitro experimental study
PubMed 29699114 · doi:10.1007/s12522-011-0113-6
What was done
Pregnant female rats were given 0.03% pantothenic acid (PaA) in drinking water during pregnancy and lactation. In one experiment, female offspring continued 0.03% PaA treatment until 10 weeks of age (cyclic rats). In a second experiment, adrenal glands were collected from lactating dams on day 5 of lactation. Primary adrenal cells were cultured for 4 hours with or without 10^-10 M rat adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Circulating ACTH and corticosterone levels were also measured.
What was found
ACTH-stimulated (10^-10 M) release of corticosterone and progesterone was greater in adrenal cells from PaA-treated cyclic rats compared to control cyclic rats. Corticosterone release in response to 10^-10 M ACTH was also greater in adrenal cells from PaA-treated lactating rats than in control lactating rats. In vivo circulating ACTH and corticosterone levels did not differ between PaA-treated and control cyclic or lactating rats. The abstract reports no numerical values or effect sizes.
Why it matters
The findings indicate that dietary pantothenic acid influences adrenal cortex sensitivity to ACTH stimulation in female rodents without altering baseline circulating hormone concentrations.
Limits
This is an animal and in-vitro model with unknown applicability to human physiology. The abstract provides no sample sizes (n), numerical data, confidence intervals, or p-values.
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