State of peripheral catecholaminergic systems during pharmacologic correction of immobilization stress by sodium hydroxybutyrate

Abstract

Investigations have shown that administration of sodium hydroxybutyrate (the sodium salt of y-hydroxybutyric acid -GHBA) to stressed animals reduces activation of the pituitarysympathicoadrenal system and limits the development of stress-induced lesions in various internal organs [6, 14]. In the existing view, the antistressor effect of this compound is exerted at the level of higher autonomic centers of the brain, and consists of activation of the inhibitory GABA-ergic system; this, in turn, prevents excessive excitation of the stress-realizing systems of the body, including the catecholaminergic system [2, 8].