Wong Chiu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-85). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Abbreviations --- p.viii / Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Overview --- p.1 / Chapter a. --- Steroidogenesis --- p.1 / Chapter i --- Ectopic steroidogenesis --- p.2 / Chapter ii --- Steroidogenesis in the pituitary --- p.5 / Chapter iii --- Proteins and enzymes involved in steroidogenesis and their distribution in brain and other sites --- p.6 / Chapter iv --- Regulation of adrenal steroidogenesis --- p.11 / Chapter b. --- Regulation of pituitary ACTH secretion --- p.13 / Chapter i --- Hypothalamic regulation --- p.13 / Chapter ii --- Paracrine regulation --- p.14 / Chapter iii --- Feedback regulation --- p.15 / Chapter c. --- Aims of the study --- p.15 / Chapter 2 --- Materials and methods --- p.18 / Chapter a. --- Materials --- p.18 / Chapter b. --- In vivo experiments --- p.25 / Chapter i --- Steroidogenic enzyme mRNA expression in rat and mouse pituitary --- p.25 / Chapter ii --- "Effects of hormonal treatments on weights of body, adrenal glands and testis, and steroidogenic enzyme mRNA expression in rats" --- p.25 / Chapter iii --- Effects of adrenalectomy and/or gonadectomy on the expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat pituitary --- p.26 / Chapter c. --- In vitro experiments --- p.26 / Chapter i --- Effects of CRF and forskolin on cAMP production in mouse and rat pituitary cell-lines --- p.28 / Chapter ii --- Expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat and mouse pituitary cell-lines --- p.28 / Chapter iii --- Effects of CRF on the expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat and mouse pituitary cell-lines --- p.29 / Chapter d. --- Statistical analysis --- p.29 / Chapter 3 --- Results --- p.30 / Chapter a. --- In vivo experiments --- p.30 / Chapter i --- Steroidogenic enzyme mRNA expression in rat and mouse pituitary --- p.30 / Chapter ii --- "Effects of hormonal treatments on weights of body, adrenal glands and testis, and steroidogenic enzyme mRNA expression in rats" --- p.38 / Chapter iii --- Effects of adrenalectomy and/or gonadectomy on the expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat pituitary --- p.47 / Chapter b. --- In vitro experiments --- p.51 / Chapter i --- Effects of CRF and forskolin on cAMP production in mouse and rat pituitary cell-lines --- p.51 / Chapter ii --- Expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat and mouse pituitary cell-lines --- p.55 / Chapter iii --- Effects of CRF on the expression of steroidogenic enzyme mRNAs in rat and mouse pituitary cell-lines --- p.57 / Chapter 4 --- Discussion --- p.58 / Further studies --- p.71 / References --- p.73 / Appendix 1 --- p.86