Experimental protocols. Experiment 1: effect of long-term Cort excess or corticoids deprivation. Three groups of rats were used: sham-ADX group, 12-day high Cort group, and 7-day ADX group. Experiment 2: effect of acute Cort administration. Three groups of rats were used: ADX + Cort suppl, acute Cort (1) 1 h, and acute Cort 3 h. Rats in each group underwent ADX and Cort supplementation in drinking fluids, and 7 days were allowed before the experiment. Complete details are reported in the text.