Neonatal Cortisol Administration and Immunological Impairment In the Adult Rat.

Abstract

Infant rats, within 24 hr.of birth, were injected subcutaneously with 1 mg cortisol acetate. Littermates received brief handling. All surviving rats were challenged 60-70 days later with 2 different antigens and the antibody titers in their serum were determined. The hormone treated rats had significantly lower antibody levels that the control rats. Failure of the infant rat to secrete ACTH in response to stress may provide for the development of an effective immune mechanism at later developmental stages.