On the role of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) in modulating activity of glucocorticoids: developmental patterns for CBG, corticosterone, and a-fetoprotein levels in the rat serum.

The levels of corticosterone, corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG), and a-fetoprotein (AFP) were measured in the serum of developing rats. It has been shown that the dramatic increase in CBG concentration and the decrease in AFP concentration of the same degree occur in males and females during the third postnatal week. The considerable rise in corticosterone level was observed only during 4th postnatal week. The data obtained in the study suggest that CBG may be responsible for the essential contribution to the developmental rise in glucocorticoid activity.