Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on aldosterone level during stress exposures: role of μ-opioid receptors.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS, 30 mg/kg) blocks stress-induced elevation of aldosterone concentration in rats subjected to repeated stress. Administration of DHEAS together with opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone in a dose of 0.1 mg/kg, i.e. the dose that selectively blocks μ-opioid receptors, abolished this blocking effect of DHEAS, which suggests that it is mediated by μ-opioid receptors. Under conditions of cold exposure, DHEAS exhibits the aldosterone-blocking effect even after single presentation of the stress factor. However, this effect is realized not via μ-opioid receptors, which attests to differences in the regulatory mechanisms depending on the nature of the external factor.