Corticosterone modulates the behavioral and metabolic effects of
lipopolysaccharide.
Johnson, R. W., M. J. Propes, and Y. Shavit.
Laboratory of Integrative Biology, Department of Animal Sciences,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA,
Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount
Scopus, Jerusalem 91905, ISRAEL
APStracts 2:0229R, 1995.
The behavioral and neuroendocrine responses following infection are
important mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis and promoting
recovery. The purpose of this study was to determine if
glucocorticoids modulate the behavioral and metabolic effects of
lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in rats. A single injection of LPS (10
Ng/kg, i.p.) increased plasma corticosterone at 4 h, but had no
effect on social behavior, body temperature or body weight. To
determine if behavioral and metabolic effects of LPS were precluded
by the increase in corticosterone, adrenalectomized (ADX) and sham
-operated rats were injected with LPS. Whereas ADX rats expressed
symptoms of sickness, intact controls did not. To verify that
corticosterone was the adrenal hormone responsible for inhibiting
these effects of LPS, corticosterone pellets or placebos were
implanted i.p. in ADX rats. Following injection of LPS, ADX rats with
placebos expressed behavioral symptoms characteristic of sickness,
including depressed social behavior. Corticosterone pellets, however,
entirely reversed these effects in ADX rats. These results indicate
that corticosterone modulates the behavioral and metabolic effects of
LPS, suggesting the HPA axis is important in preventing profound
behavioral disturbances in response to low-grade immune stimulation
by infectious and non-infectious agents.
Received 9 March 1995; accepted in final form 3 August 1995.
APS Manuscript Number R156-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Regulatory Integrative
Comp. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 14 August 1995.