Androstenediol reduces the anti-inflammatory effects of restraint stress during wound healing.

Restraint stress (RST) delays wound closure and suppresses pro-inflammatory gene expression by a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. Because androstenediol (AED) ameliorates many of the anti-inflammatory influences of glucocorticoids (GC) in vitro, it was hypothesized that treatment of stressed animals with AED would ameliorate the suppressive influence of restraint and restore healing to control levels. To test this hypothesis, male CD1 mice were subjected to nightly cycles of RST beginning 3 days prior to placement of two 3.