[Stress-induced analgesia. The role of the hormones of the hypophyseal-adrenocortical system].

The effect of stress on pain threshold and blood corticosteroids was studied in anesthetised rats. The stress stimulation resulted in a parallel changes of analgesia and blood corticosteroids. Stress-induced analgesia were decreased after blocking of the pituitary-adrenocortical system by means of dexamethasone implantation (200 micrograms) in paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus or i. v. administration of hydrocortisone (15 mg/100 g b. w.). Naloxone administration (1, 10 mg/kg) does not block analgetic effect and corticosteroid level. These results suggest that pituitary-adrenocortical axis provide non opioid stress-induced analgesia.