Role of corticosterone in the control of post-shock fighting behaviour in male laboratory mice

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to examine the role of corticosterone in controlling fighting subsequent to electric foot-shock in male mice. It was found that (1) treatment with corticosterone restores post-shock fighting in adrenalectomized males but not in castrated-adrenalectomized males; (2) raising cortieosterone levels induces post-shock fighting in castrated-adrenalectomized males treated with testosterone but not in castrated-adrenalectomized controls treated with a placebo; and (3) preventing corticosterone responses to shock occludes the increasing in fighting which normally follow shock in intact males. These findings suggest that (1) corticosterone plays an important role in the control of post-shock fighting in mice; (2) this importance of corticosterone is dependent on the presence of circulating testosterone, or other androgens; and (3) corticosterone responses to the experience of shock may be involved in the mediation of the facilitatory effects of this experience on subsequent fighting behaviour.