Effects of stress on adrenal steroidogenesis blockade by aminoglutethimide

After one week of AG-treatment, the adrenal cortex reveals a marked storage of lipids and cholesterol, as well as a decrease in haematic corticosterone and progesterone levels. On the contrary, when AG-treatment is associated with stress, an increase in plasma corticosterone and progesterone levels occurs, together with a less evident lipidic storage in the adrenal cortex. These results seem to indicate the possibility that, during stress, hypothalamo-hypophysis axis activation is able to remove, at least partially, the adrenal biosynthesis blockade operated by AG-administration.