3.4. Plasma corticosterone levels
No differences were observed between malnourished
solvent injected and well-nourished solvent
treated rats (mean k SEM values were 45 + 1.5 and
59 k 27 ng/ml, respectively).
Malnourished rats treated with 6-OHDA experienced
a significant increase in plasma corticosterone
level from 45 + 15 to 165 _t 30 (mean + SEM, P <
0.005, Student’s t-test). By contrast, in well-nourished
6-OHDA-treated controls, corticosterone level remain
unchanged (from 45 + 15 to 47 + 23), this concentration
being significantly lower than that of the malnourished
6-OHDA-treated group (P < 0.02, Student’s ttest