Central administration of a CRF antagonist blocks the development of stress-induced behavioral sensitization.

This experiment examined the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of a corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) antagonist on the development of stress-induced sensitization of the behavioral response to amphetamine. Restraint stress was found to enhance both the locomotor response to a s.c. injection of saline and the intensity of stereotypy induced by a s.c. injection of 3.0 mg/kg D-amphetamine. Both of these effects of restraint stress were severely attenuated in rats that had been injected with the CRF antagonist prior to restraint stress. This result is compatible with the hypothesis that CRF is critically involved in initiating behavioral and physiological responses to aversive stimuli.