STRESS AND HYPERTENSION - ROLE OF SERUM, RED-CELL AND TISSUE ELECTROLYTES

The role of stress in the precipitation of hypertension is often descr ibed in clinical studies, although the underlying mechanism remains un known. The present study concerns the role of electrolytes in stress i nduced hypertension in rats. Acute immobilization stress of one hour e levated systolic blood pressure (SBP) in rats. Restraint induced blood pressure elevation was associated with increased sodium concentration in the red cells, heart and kidney, and decreased potassium in the re d cells. Magnesium concentration increased and calcium concentration d ecreased in the serum. Increases of calcium and decreases of magnesium were also observed in the heart and kidney tissues. The results may h elp toward an understanding of the relationship between hypertension a nd electrolyte homeostasis. A possible role of Na+-K+-ATPase activity leading to observed changes of electrolytes or vice versa is discussed .