Hormonal responses accompanying fear and agitation in the squirrel monkey

The adrenocortical and gonadal responses of 14 male monkeys were evaluated during four experimental conditions in order to evaluate the influence of social interactions on endocrine responsiveness. Plasma hormone levels were determined during the establishment of social relations, after 60-min exposures to a novel environment, after 60-min exposures to a snake, and 60 min after ACTH administration. Both adrenal and gonadal secretion changed significantly during the first day after social relations were established, although only dominant males showed increases in testosterone, whereas cortisol levels rose in all subjects. Increases in cortisol, but not testosterone, were also observed following exposure to novelty or a snake. The presence of a social partner reduced signs of behavioral disturbance during these test conditions, although the adrenal responses were equivalent or greater than when tested alone. This finding qualifies earlier research which indicated that social support was beneficial for reducing stress when squirrel monkeys were tested in larger groups in their home environment.