[A comparison of the reactions of the hypophyseal-adrenal system in rats to inhibitory and excitatory stimuli].

The basic and stress-induced levels of corticosterone were studied prior to and after administration of dexamethasone (5 micrograms/kg) in 36 male Wistar rats. No correlations between the responses to stress and dexamethasone administration were revealed. The mechanisms regulating excitation and inhibition of the hypophyseal-adrenal system seem to be independent of each other. The values of the corticosterone concentration in the blood plasma during and after dexamethasone administration were shown to be distributed according to the log-normal law.