Some endocrinological aspects of barbiturate dependence

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Abstract
1 Hypophysectomized rats become dependent on barbitone and show the same withdrawal syndrome as intact animals. 2 Barbitone dependent rats have larger thyroid and adrenal glands, a larger liver, smaller gonads and larger secondary sex organs than untreated animals. The levator ani muscle of the males is smaller. 3 In contrast, dependent female hypophysectomized rats only showed a decreased gonad weight and increased liver weight. 4 Histologically, the thyroid gland of dependent rats appears more active, but the concentration of iodine bound to plasma protein, basal metabolic rate and body temperature are similar in dependent and untreated animals. 5 Resting plasma corticosterone concentration appears to be unchanged in barbitone dependent animals, but stress induced increases in the concentration of corticosterone in plasma are less in dependent animals. 6 Immature barbitone dependent rats grow at a faster rate than untreated animals, but hypophysectomized rats of similar age receiving barbitone do not. 7 The additional body weight gained by barbitone dependent animals is of normal body composition. 8 Administration of growth hormone has an identical growth inducing effect in dependent hypophysectomized animals and in untreated hypophysectomized animals. 9 Barbitone dependent rats do not exhibit the ‘frustration effect’ in a double runway. In barbitone dependent rats approach to a potentially ‘frustrating’ situation is slower than in untreated animals.