INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOGENIC AND NEUROGENIC STRESSORS ON ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE ACTIVITY - DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS IN FAST AND SLOW SEIZING RAT STRAINS

Citation
H. Anisman et al., INFLUENCE OF PSYCHOGENIC AND NEUROGENIC STRESSORS ON ENDOCRINE AND IMMUNE ACTIVITY - DIFFERENTIAL-EFFECTS IN FAST AND SLOW SEIZING RAT STRAINS, Brain, behavior, and immunity, 11(1), 1997, pp. 63-74
Citations number
45
Categorie Soggetti
Neurosciences,Immunology
ISSN journal
08891591
Volume
11
Issue
1
Year of publication
1997
Pages
63 - 74
Database
ISI
SICI code
0889-1591(1997)11:1<63:IOPANS>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
Variations of plasma ACTH and corticosterone, as well as splenic macro phage activity and mitogen-induced cell proliferation, were determined in rats following 15 min of either the neurogenic stressor of restrai nt or by a purely psychogenic stressor consisting of exposure to a fer ret. The effects of these stressors were assessed in two strains of ra ts that were selectively bred for either Fast or Slow kindling epilept ogenesis triggered in response to amygdala stimulation. The stressors differentially influenced behavioral responses, endocrine activity, an d immune functioning, and these effects varied with the strain of rat. In response to restraint the Fast rats exhibited protracted strugglin g, while the Slow rats tended to be immobile. In contrast, upon ferret exposure the Fast rats showed greater immobility than the Slow rats. The stressors also induced marked elevations of plasma ACTH and cortic osterone. Whereas the ACTH and corticosterone increases were more pron ounced in response to the ferret in the Slow rats, restraint resulted in a markedly greater rise of plasma ACTH in the Fast strain. prolifer ation of splenic lymphocytes in response to Con A and LPS were elevate d in Fast seizing rats, while macrophage activity, as determined by ox ygen burst following addition of PMA and luminol to splenic mononuclea r cells, was greater in the Slow seizing strain. While neither stresso r influenced cell proliferation in either the Fast or Slow rats, macro phage activity was greatly suppressed by ferret exposure only in the S low rats. Taken together, it appears that while stressors influence be havior and immune and endocrine functioning, these effects may vary as a function of the interaction of the strain of rat and the specific t ype of stressor employed. (C) 1997 Academic Press.