THE PAVLOVIAN CONDITIONING OF IL-1-INDUCED GLUCOCORTICOID SECRETION

Recombinant IL-1-β, which is capable of stimulating the pituitary-adrenal axis to secrete corticosterone, was paired with environmental cues in either a taste aversion or odor conditioning procedure. Among mice receiving paired delivery of cues and IL-1, subsequent re-exposure to cues elicited corticosterone production. This response was significantly greater than in animals that were conditioned but not re-exposed to the cues or were exposed to the cues alone. These results indicate that the IL-1 activation of adrenal cortical secretion can be conditioned to environmental stimuli. © 1990.