Abstract
The authors studied, in two experimental periods (spring and summer), the influence of adrenalectomy or chronic administrations of ACTH on methamphetamine-induced stereotyped behavior (sniffing, biting and licking) and increase of brain amphetamine level in rats. In both spring and summer, the brain amphetamine levels were markedly increased in adrenalectomized rats. Within the limits of the spring experiment, the biting hehavior was not observed in rats which had been treated with ACTH, while the frequent appearance of sniffing behavior in adrenalectomized rats was inhibited by ACTH. Within the limits of the summer experiment, the licking behavior was not seen in rats treated with ACTH, while the lack of biting in adrenalectomized rats was restored with administration of the drug.
