title: Alprazolam reduces stress-induced mortality in cardiomyopathic hamsters.
abstract: These experiments examined the role of several variables involved in the production of serious, stress-induced disease. Experiments 1 and 2 indicated that stress may not be medically dangerous except in animals with a predisposition or vulnerability to disease. Repeated exposure to cold-immobilization produced no detectable ill effects in healthy hamsters, but it was lethal for cardiomyopathic hamsters (CMHs). Experiment 3 showed that stressor intensity was also critical to the outcome of stress. CMHs succumbed when they were stressed in the supine position, but not when they were immobilized in the less stressful prone position. In Experiment 4, we attempted to reduce the stressfulness of cold-immobilization with the anxiolytic alprazolam. Alprazolam effectively blocked stress-induced mortality. In addition, we found that poststress body temperature was a crude predictor of an animal's ability to cope with stress. Alprazolam prevented CMHs from developing stress-induced hypothermia.
authors.affiliation: Primate Neuro-behavioral Unit, VA Medical Center, East Orange, NJ 07019.
authors.forename: W N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Tapp
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Natelson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Creighton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khazam
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ottenweller
mesh_terms: D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006224:Cricetinae; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000525:Alprazolam