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1 BYKOV, K . M. AND KURTSIN,I. T . , Pafologica Corfico-Visceral, Editorial Atlante, Madrid, 1968. 2 KURTSIN,I. T., Theoretical Bases of the Psychosomatic Medicine, Science, Leningrad, 1973.
Inhibition of adrenocortical responses following sciatic nerve stimulation in rats with complete and partial hypothalamic deafferentation
S. FELDMAN - Department of Neurology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem (Israel) Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that in rats with hypothalamic islands the adrenocortical response to photic and acoustic stimulation was partially inhibited indicating that they were at least to a certain degree neurally mediated. In the same preparation anoxia, immobilization and ether-stress produced normal adrenocortical responses. With the purpose of determining to what extent afferent somatosensory connections to the hypothalamus participate in the activation of adrenocortical responses following sciatic nerve stimulation, the effects of this stimulus applied through chronically implanted electrodes were studied on plasma corticosterone levels in pentobarbital anesthetized intact animals and in rats with hypothalamic islands. A 2-min ether-stress or sciatic nerve stimulation in intact rats produced a rise of plasma corticosterone to 32.1 1.8 pg/lOO ml, 1.2 and 32.1 respectively. However, in animals with hypothalamic islands the corresponding values were 29.2 +_ 1.8 and 12.4 +_ 0.8 pg/lOO ml, respectively. The latter value was not significantly different from the basal corticosterone levels (13.0 1.2 pg/lOO ml) found in rats 15 min after pentobarbital anesthesia, the time when the sciatic stimulus was applied. Partial hypothalamic deafferentation has demonstrated that the adrenocortical responses were inhibited following sciatic stimulation in rats with anterolateral and anterior cuts, however no such effects were obtained with posterior and posterolateral deafferentations. The present data would indicate that the adrenocortical discharge following sciatic nerve stimulation is totally inhibited by complete hypothalamic deafferentation and that the afferent input is mediated by anterior neural pathways entering the hypothalamus.
Aggression and psychoneuroendocrine factors
E. TOMORUG - Hospital “Gh. Marinescu”, Bucharest (Rumania) Cases of aggressive acts have lately become extremely numerous. This increase in aggression is most marked among younger age groups. In young people, aggressive incidents are more superficial in nature, whereas adults generally commit more violent actions such as attempted murder or murder. Four hundred such cases have been analyzed from a forensic-psychiatric stand-
FREE COMMUNICATIONS
1 BYKOV, K . M. AND KURTSIN,I. T . , Pafologica Corfico-Visceral, Editorial Atlante, Madrid, 1968. 2 KURTSIN,I. T., Theoretical Bases of the Psychosomatic Medicine, Science, Leningrad, 1973.
Inhibition of adrenocortical responses following sciatic nerve stimulation in rats with complete and partial hypothalamic deafferentation
S. FELDMAN - Department of Neurology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem (Israel) Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that in rats with hypothalamic islands the adrenocortical response to photic and acoustic stimulation was partially inhibited indicating that they were at least to a certain degree neurally mediated. In the same preparation anoxia, immobilization and ether-stress produced normal adrenocortical responses. With the purpose of determining to what extent afferent somatosensory connections to the hypothalamus participate in the activation of adrenocortical responses following sciatic nerve stimulation, the effects of this stimulus applied through chronically implanted electrodes were studied on plasma corticosterone levels in pentobarbital anesthetized intact animals and in rats with hypothalamic islands. A 2-min ether-stress or sciatic nerve stimulation in intact rats produced a rise of plasma corticosterone to 32.1 1.8 pg/lOO ml, 1.2 and 32.1 respectively. However, in animals with hypothalamic islands the corresponding values were 29.2 +_ 1.8 and 12.4 +_ 0.8 pg/lOO ml, respectively. The latter value was not significantly different from the basal corticosterone levels (13.0 1.2 pg/lOO ml) found in rats 15 min after pentobarbital anesthesia, the time when the sciatic stimulus was applied. Partial hypothalamic deafferentation has demonstrated that the adrenocortical responses were inhibited following sciatic stimulation in rats with anterolateral and anterior cuts, however no such effects were obtained with posterior and posterolateral deafferentations. The present data would indicate that the adrenocortical discharge following sciatic nerve stimulation is totally inhibited by complete hypothalamic deafferentation and that the afferent input is mediated by anterior neural pathways entering the hypothalamus.
Aggression and psychoneuroendocrine factors
E. TOMORUG - Hospital “Gh. Marinescu”, Bucharest (Rumania) Cases of aggressive acts have lately become extremely numerous. This increase in aggression is most marked among younger age groups. In young people, aggressive incidents are more superficial in nature, whereas adults generally commit more violent actions such as attempted murder or murder. Four hundred such cases have been analyzed from a forensic-psychiatric stand-
