title: A chronic stress state in rats: effects of repeated stress on basal corticosterone and behavior.
abstract: The chronic stress state has previously been defined as persistent visceral arousal coupled with behavioral abnormalities. To determine the number of stressor exposures necessary to induce a chronic stress state, male rats were given 2 hours of inescapable shock on 10, 7, 4, or 3 consecutive days. The 3-day stress group had the most pervasive changes in the variables measured: persistently elevated basal plasma corticosterone (CORT), continued weight loss in the post-stressor period, and abnormal behavior. More exposures to the stress regimen did not produce higher CORT levels or greater behavioral changes. Acutely stressed rats, exposed to 1 day of inescapable shock, had persistent CORT elevations without the other changes seen in the 3-day stress group. The data suggest that 3 days of our stress regimen are sufficient to produce a state of chronic stress and that some signs of this state begin to appear as early as the first exposure to our inescapable stress regimen.
authors.affiliation: Neurobehavioral Unit 127A, VA Medical Center, East Orange, NJ 07019.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ottenweller
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Servatius
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Tapp
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Drastal
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bergen
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Natelson
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood*; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003345:Corticosterone