SS increases serum corticosterone. (A) Histogram showing mean (n = 4) serum salicylate concentration (right ordinate) and mean (n = 4) serum corticosterone concentration (left ordinate) 2 h after intraperitoneal injection of different doses of SS (mg/kg). Serum salicylate concentrations increased with doses; serum salicylate concentrations from 50 to 250 mg/kg were significantly greater (#, p < 0.05) than the control (0 mg/kg). Serum corticosterone concentrations increased after the 150 and 250 mg/kg dose of SS. Serum corticosterone concentration was significantly greater than control at 250 mg/kg dose ($, p < 0.05). (B) Histogram showing mean (n = 8) serum salicylate concentration (right ordinate) and mean (n = 4) serum corticosterone concentration pre-SS (saline control) and 2, 4 or 48 h after intraperitoneal injection of 250 mg/kg SS. Serum salicylate concentrations were significantly greater than control at 2 and 24 h post-SS (#, p < 0.05). Serum corticosterone concentration was significantly greater than the control at 2 h post-SS ($, p < 0.05). (C) Scatterplot showing the relationship between serum salicylate concentration and serum corticosterone concentration for different intraperitoneal doses of SS. Dashed line sigmoidal function fit to the data (r2 = 0.7649, Log EC50 = 543.4 mg/ml corticosterone).