Stress-induced analgesia. The role of hormones produced by the hypophyseal-adrenocortical system.
Experimental studies on the effects of stress on blood corticosteroid levels and the appearance of analgesia were carried out on rats anesthetized with Nembutai (4 mg/100 g). Stress, consisting of stimulation of the hind footpad with a current at 0.7 mA, produced parallel changes in plasma corticosteroid concentrations and the threshold of a pain response. Functional blockade of the hypophyseal-adrenocortical system, produced by systemic administration of hydrocortisone (15 mg/100 g) or by implantation of dexamethasone (200 micrograms) above the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, resulted in reductions in stress-induced analgesia. Dosage with naloxone (1 and 10 mg/kg) had no effect on the level of analgesia or corticosteroid concentrations. It is concluded that stress-induced analgesia not mediated by opioids is corticosteroid-dependent.
Filaretov
A A
AA
Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg.
Bogdanov
A I
AI
Yarushkina
N I
NI
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004343:Drug Implants; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010286:Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004343:Drug Implants; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D009270:Naloxone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D006854:Hydrocortisone