Cortisol release by goats increased significantly after ACTH administration compared with that observed after a placebo, and the cortisolprofiles after first milking, vaccination, vermifugation,hoof trimming, and ACTH administration were similar.However, there was no effect of the immediate increasein cortisol in vivo on IGF-1 release, milk yield, milkquality, or the apoptosis and proliferation rates, norwas there any effect on the expression of the targetgenes