title: Differential changes in rat brain noradrenaline turnover produced by continuous and intermittent restraint stress.
abstract: This experiment was performed to investigate differential effects of continuous and intermittent restraint stress on noradrenaline (NA) turnover in brain regions of male Wistar rats by measuring levels of a major metabolite of NA, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol sulfate (MHPG-SO4) levels, as well as by measuring levels of plasma corticosterone and organ weights of the thymus, spleen, and adrenal glands. Rats in the 15-min and 30-min intermittently stressed groups showed significantly larger increases in MHPG-SO4 levels in most brain regions relative to those in the 90-min and 180-min continuously stressed groups, even though the total stress duration was equal or shorter. Body weight loss and loss of relative thymus weight in the 15-min intermittently stressed groups were the most marked among the five treatment groups. These findings suggest that stress-rest cyclicity is critical in determining the extent of stress-induced brain NA turnover and peripheral physiological responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokoo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gondoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizoguchi
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuguchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D003345:Corticosterone; D009638:Norepinephrine