Abstract
We previously demonstrated that the reversible cholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine (PHYSO), administered to normal young adult women and men (average age 35 years) at a dose that produced few or no side effects, resulted in a sex difference (sexual diergism) in hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal cortical (HPA) axis responses: Plasma ACTH(1-39), cortisol, and arginine vasopressin (AVP) concentrations increased to a significantly greater extent in the men than in the women. To explore the effect of age on these sexually diergic hormone responses, in the present study we used the same dose of PHYSO (8 microg/kg IV) to stimulate ACTH(1-39), cortisol, and AVP secretion in normal elderly, non-estrogen-replaced women and elderly men (average ages 73 years and 70 years, respectively). The subjects underwent three test sessions 5-7 days apart: PHYSO, saline control, and a second session of PHYSO. Serial blood samples were taken for hormone analyses before and after pharmacologic challenge. As with the previously studied younger subjects, PHYSO administration produced no side effects in about half the elderly subjects and mild side effects in the other half, with no significant female-male differences. The hormone responses were 2-5 fold ...Continue Reading
Citations
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