Ontogenesis of the Adrenal Glucocorticoids and of the Target Function of the Enzymatic Tyrosine Transaminase Activity in the Chick Embryo

Adrenal and plasma glucocorticoids were determined in developing chick embryos of Gallus domesticus from days 8 to 19 of incubation, using a competitive protein-binding assay. At the same time, tyrosine transaminase activity in the liver was studied as an adrenal-dependent target function. Total amounts of glucocorticoids in the adrenal gland increased from day 11 and reached 7 ng/pair of glands on day 19. This increase was related to growth of the adrenal since concentrations remained constant at about 380 pg/micrograms dry weight from days 9 to 18. Glucocorticoids appeared in the plasma on day 12 and their concentrations rose to 10 ng/ml on day 19, with a marked peak on day 13. This peak was not reflected in the tyrosine transaminase activity which appeared and developed independently of the variations in the circulating glucocorticoids.