Mb. Botchin et al., NEUROENDOCRINE RESPONSES TO FENFLURAMINE CHALLENGE ARE INFLUENCED BY EXPOSURE TO CHRONIC SOCIAL STRESS IN ADULT MALE CYNOMOLGUS MACAQUES, Psychoneuroendocrinology, 19(1), 1994, pp. 1-11
This study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic social st
ress on central serotonergic responsivity in adult male cynomolgus mon
keys (Macaca fascicularis). The influences of social stress and domina
nce status (social rank) on adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) and cor
tisol responses to acute administration of an indirect serotonergic ag
onist (fenfluramine) were evaluated in 75 cynomolgus macaques that wer
e housed in five-member social groups for 28 mo. These groups either r
emained stable in composition (No-Stress) or had their composition per
iodically reorganized in the first (Early-Stress) or second (Late-Stre
ss) halves of the study. At the end of the 23rd month, a fenfluramine
challenge was done. Animals in the Late-Stress condition had significa
ntly higher ACTH responses compared to those in the No-Stress conditio
n (p < .05) and significantly higher cortisol responses compared to th
ose in the Early-Stress condition (p < .05). No differences between do
minant and subordinate animals in ACTH or cortisol responses to challe
nge were identified. These data suggest that social stress produces a
''state''-related augmentation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal respo
nsivity to fenfluramine (serotonergic) challenge in cynomolgus macaque
s.