ALLEVIATION OF MORTALITY INDUCED BY SALICYLATE AND STRESS

Protection from the deleterious effects of the interaction of environm ental stress and salicylate by calcium supplement was investigated in 96 pigmented rats. Within a 2 x 2 x 4 factorial design, rats were assi gned to groups defined by: A) ad lib access to 1) plain tap water, or 2) 50 mM calcium chloride solution; B) exposure to stressors consistin g of daily 10 h periods of 1) 98 dB SPL noise, or 2) confinement precl uding movements; C) daily injections of 233, 350, or 410 mg/kg of sodi um salicylate or the saline vehicle. For subjects maintained on tap wa ter, weight loss and mortality increased with salicylate levels, with all subjects dying in the group drinking water and injected with 410 m g/kg. Calcium protected all of the subjects in the noise stress group but not in the confined group.