Grota L J
Dev Psychobiol. 1975 May;8(3):251-9. doi: 10.1002/dev.420080310.
This investigation tested the hypothesis that changes in circulating adrenocortical hormones mediate the long term effects of shocking infant rats. Dexamethasone administered through the mothers' milk was used to block adrenocortical responses to peripheral shock stimulation by the young. Control experiments indicated that the dexamethasone was present in the pups as early as 2 days after the mothers began drinking water containing dexamethasone. Shock reduced adrenocortical reactivity under conditions where the mother and the young were capable of an adrenocortical response to the shock, where either the mother or the young could have a response, and where neither the mother nor the young could have an adrenocortical response to this early stimulation. These data do not support the hypothesis that a pituitary-adrenocortical response of either the mother or the young mediates the effects of stimulation in infancy on subsequent adrenocortical reactivity.
循环肾上腺皮质激素的变化介导了电击幼鼠的长期影响。通过母乳给予地塞米松，以阻断幼鼠对周围休克刺激的肾上腺皮质反应。对照实验表明，早在母亲开始饮用含地塞米松的水后2天，幼崽体内就存在地塞米松。在母亲和幼崽能够对休克产生肾上腺皮质反应的条件下，在母亲或幼崽可能产生反应的条件下，以及在母亲和幼崽都不能对这种早期刺激产生肾上腺皮质反应的条件下，休克都会降低肾上腺皮质反应性。这些数据不支持以下假设：母亲或幼崽的垂体-肾上腺皮质反应介导了婴儿期刺激对随后肾上腺皮质反应性的影响。
