Plasma corticosterone following alterations of hypothalamic catecholamines in rats.

The role of central catecholamines in the regulation of resting ACTH secretion has been investigated by relating plasma corticosterone to changes in hypothalamic catecholamines after treating rats with various amine depleting agents. The hypothesis of a noradrenergic inhibitory control is not supported by the data since a correlation between hypothalamic catecholamine content and plasma corticosterone levels could not be established.