Elevated Nonprotein-Bound Cortisol (NPC) in Pregnancy, During Estrogen Administration and in Carcinoma of the Prostate¹

Role of Ovarian Hormones in the Long-Term Control of Glucose Homeostasis Glycogen Formation and Gluconeogenesis

“…The glycogenic action of estrogens on liver may also be attributed in part to in creased adrenal glucocorticoid activity [24]. Estrogens increase circulating glucocorticoid tilers [8] which increase hepatic glycogen [II], However, glucocorticoids antagonize in sulin-mediated glucose uptake into skeletal muscle [11], whereas estradiol increased the glycogen content of this tissue in the present study. Furthermore, estrogens synergize the action of insulin on skeletal muscle [15,21] and increase glucose uptake in uterus by acti vation of a specific transport system [19.…”

Placenta, transcortin, and localized immune response.

“…Support for this hypothesis may be found in those studies that demonstrate that the biosynthesis of transcortin is induced by estrogen and that increases in plasma estrogen during pregnancy are paralleled by increases in maternal plasma transcortin (25,26). We feel that during the first trimester, the increased level of transcortin in maternal plasma is the result of its induced biosynthesis by the liver in response to estrogenic increases.…”

“…Transcortin is markedly and continuously increased during pregnancy (23,24). This increase is due to increased synthesis induced by elevations of plasma estrogens (25,26) and occurs exclusively in the liver (27,28). It is possible, therefore, that increased levels of transcortin could result in the suppression of cell-mediated immunity.…”

Changes in the Diurnal Rhythms of Plasma Cortisol in Women during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

“…The rise in cortisol during pregnancy is accompanied by a rise in CBG [4], in the free cortisol fraction of plasma [7] and in the plasma ACTH concentration [3] compared to values in the middle of the first trimester. The rise in CBG concentration is thought to lead to a decrease in the met abolic clearance rate of cortisol in pregnancy [13].…”

“…During human pregnancy there is an increase in the concentration of cortisol in maternal plasma [1][2][3], mainly due to a concomitant increase in the transcortin (CBG) binding capacity of serum [4,5]. It is known also that the diurnal rhythm in the total and nonprotein bound concentration of cortisol in plasma persists during pregnancy [2,[6][7][8].…”