[Brain catecholamine participation in etimizol activation of the hypophyseal-adrenal cortex system]

In the experiments on rats the influence of aethimizol on the blood plasma 11-corticosteroids level and the brain catecholamines content was studied. It is established that an hour after the aethimizol injection (10 mg/kg) the blood corticosteroids concentration increases and the hypothalamic norepinephrine and dophamine levels decrease. The pituitary-adrenal system stimulating effect of aethimizol is blocked to a great extent by the intraventricular injection of 6-hydroxydophamine (250 microgram, twice), but is not prevented by the intraperitoneal reserpine treatment (1.5 mg/kg, twice). Aethimizol potentiates the behavioral effects of L-dioxyphenylalanine in mice. It is suggested that the stimulating action of aethimizol on the pituitary-adrenal system may be attributed to its activation of the catecholamines release and their uptake by the hypothalamus.