title: Neuropeptidase activities in plasma after acute restraint stress. Interaction with cortico-limbic areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of acute restraint stress (ARS) on plasma enkephalinase and oxytocinase activities. ARS modifies basal activities in cortico-limbic regions of rats and induces changes in the correlations observed between these regions. The interactions between plasma and cortico-limbic activities will be also evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Enkephalinase (AlaAP and LeuAP) and oxytocinase (P-LeuAP) activities were fluorometrically determined in plasma of control and stressed rats using aminoacyl-β-naphthylamides (aaNNap), AlaNNap and LeuNNap as substrates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences in enzymatic activities were observed between control and stressed animals in plasma. In contrast, highly significant positive and negative correlations between plasma and cortico-limbic regions were demonstrated in controls. Stress conditions significantly alter the pattern of these correlations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present results clearly support a connection between plasma and brain involving certain neuropeptidase activities that change under stress conditions.
authors.affiliation: 1Unit of Physiology,University of Jaén,Jaén,Spain.
authors.forename: Ana Belén
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Segarra
authors.affiliation: 1Unit of Physiology,University of Jaén,Jaén,Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.affiliation: 1Unit of Physiology,University of Jaén,Jaén,Spain.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.affiliation: 2Cardiovascular and Metabolic Syndrome Adviser,Rossemaison,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Gasparo
authors.affiliation: 1Unit of Physiology,University of Jaén,Jaén,Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Sánchez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000097:blood*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010122:Cystinyl Aminopeptidase; D015260:Neprilysin
keywords: cortico-limbic regions; enkephalinase activity; oxytocinase activity; plasma; stress