Effects of Cortisone and of Adrenalectomy on Activity and Emotional Behavior of Mice

Abstract

Summary The effects of cortisone and of adrenalectomy upon behavior were observed in the C57BL/6 (black) and BALB/c (albino) inbred strains of mice. The C57BL/6 strain is much the more sensitive in the eosinopenic test for injected cortisone. Observations were made upon activity in a closed field, the reduction of activity by shock administered in the field, defecation, and chewing and biting parts of the test enclosure. Cortisone increased activity in both strains of mice, but did not prevent the inhibition of activity produced by shock. Neither injections of cortisone nor adrenalectomy affected certain characteristic behavior traits which differentiate between the two strains. It is concluded that the hereditary basis for these differences operates through some mechanism other than the adrenals.