>There has been some recent posts about how to prevent adrenal gland
>disease, and there seems to be some confusion on how some of the
>adrenal medications work and how they might prevent adrenal gland
>disease. I'll try to clear up some of that confusion.
>
>Lupron and Deslorelin both work at the pituitary level to stop the
>production of LH. Without LH there is no stimulation to the adrenal
>glands. Without the stimulation from LH, the adrenal gland stops
>producing hormones. Plus cases of hyperplasia (and possibly even
>adenomas) may become smaller and may even return to normal size with
>Lupron or Deslorelin treatment. However they do not work directly on
>the adrenal glands. Melatonin works a little differently. It works at
>the hypothalamus level to reduce LH production. It may also work
>directly on the adrenal glands thru melatonin receptors on the adrenal
>glands! This helps to prevent the adrenal gland from getting bigger.
>As far as using these products to prevent adrenal gland disease,
>starting a juvenile ferret on them may prevent that ferret from
>getting adrenal disease. Likewise starting an adult ferret on them
>before they have signs of adrenal gland disease may prevent them from
>getting adrenal disease as they get older. However it requires Lupron
>monthly, year round, for the rest of its life and not just one dose
>each spring. As far as a genetic problem and adrenal gland disease,
>preliminary work done by Dr Wagner at the U of Pitt has shown a defect
>in a tumor suppressor gene (P53). This defect causes a loss of tumor
>suppression, so tumors can form much easier and grow much bigger. He
>presented this info at the symposium in Portland.
>
>Hope that helps clear up some of the confusion.
>Jerry Murray, DVM

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL1843

There is also genetic work by a UC Davis team headed by Dr. Michelle
Hawkins which has found what looks to be MEN (Multiple Endocrinological
Neoplasia) genetics in some lines of ferrets. In other species MEN
genetics make the individuals more vulnerable to developing
endocrinological tumors, while the genetic variation that Dr. Wagner
found makes the individuals less able to fight off tumors in their
very early stages.

With adrenal growths the direct cause of the tumors is the constant
irritation of trying to respond to high LH (luteinizing hormone)
levels.

In a healthy whole ferret what happens is this. In times when the
light exposure levels are low their bodies produce a lot of melatonin.
For ferret ancestors and wild relative there was not a lot of light
exposure. Remember that we are talking of burrow dwellers whose main
time of activity have been in what are called the crepuscular times
(dawn and dusk low light times). Still, that is enough that when Spring
rolls around their bodies respond to increased light levels by reducing
the amount of melatonin produced. Now, melatonin is a very old and very
important hormone. It has a lot of functions in the body, performing
functions that help fight tumors, affect marrow, affect multiple
organs, and even how much of some other hormones are made. When the
levels of melatonin decrease because of the increased amounts of light
the result is that higher amounts of some other hormones are made,
hormones the melatonin levels would otherwise suppress. One of these is
FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) which can cause bone loss when it is
produced in too high amounts for too long and might have its own affect
of the adrenals, and another is the previously mentioned LH which is
incredibly well researched in relation to adrenal growth.

What normally happens then is that the whole (able to breed) ferret's
body responds to the increase in LH by preparing to reproduce. Then
success causes the reproductive organs to send a signal that turns off
the high levels of LH.

Okay, a ferret who has been spayed or altered does NOT have
reproductive organs so that ferret can not turn off the high levels of
LH which begin when melatonin levels drop too low. So, what happens
then? Well, there are NON-reproductive organs which also produce the
estrogens and androgens which ALL bodies use. Among those are the
adrenal glands. BUT those other organs which produce these closely
related "sex" hormones which are all found in all of us no matter what
our gender is do not have the ability to produce the chemical signals
that reduce LH production, so they can't shut off the irritation.

There are some approaches which are being studied for adrenal disease
prevention (melatonin, Lupron, Suprelorelin, long enough complete
darkness, etc.). I suggest reading about those in archives of both
the FML and FHL. You may also want to avoid "fancy" markings. In the
years before fancy markings there were fewer adrenal cases heard about
and none were early, but in that same time frame those horrid green
(sometimes blue or blue-white) equipment lights began appearing on so
very many things. Green is the second worst light color for disrupting
melatonin production after blue. Amber causes the least disruption
(also something which is very well studied).

I know of no U.S. breeder's claims to completely not have
endocrinological diseases which have been true, though some who don't
have fancies seem to be less likely to have the problem early than
others and maybe have lower rates than some who make the claim in a
very blatant false way.

We have one going to the vet tomorrow. Some will recall my worry that
we might once again see adrenal disease here 2 to 3 years after i could
not climb over barriers to supply then with enough constant access to
darkness and enough exercise (due to having been in braces and using
a cane for an extended time). The reason I was worried about that
possible timing was because the 2 to 3 years spacing was what we saw
back when I could not deal with barriers in the past due to delaying a
needed surgery (delay because i am allergic to a component of general
anesthesia). We now have a ferret with classic adrenal disease balding
w sudden onset and she isn't our ferret who loses fur from allergies
instead. The timing is pretty much the same -- 2 years after the last
time when they could not have as much darkness and exercise as we
prefer to supply -- which is pretty well consistent with tumors tending
to start out slowly and irritation taking its time to cause worse
problems. Hopefully, this time we won't have a clump of ones with
adrenal disease like the last time. Our typical rate of all pancreatic
diseases combined in our ferret family is a bit below twenty percent,
and adrenal diseases here have been in about ten percent more than that
rate of the ferrets over our 26 years with them. Hopefully, she is the
only one who might have begun a problem during that time of too much
light and too little exercise. The timing might give an idea of the
possible lead time before adrenal growths can become apparent, though.

[Posted in FML 5701]